Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: New Weapon - 6
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"Alright! All done! Haven't worked up a sweat like this in ages!"
Ceres approached me with a grin stretching from ear to ear. Her entire body was drenched in sweat. Her skin glistened under the light, smeared here and there with thick streaks of soot.
In her hand was a razor-sharp sword. She held it upside down, offering the hilt toward me.
"If anything feels off, just say the word. I'll tweak it to fit. I eyeballed the measurements for now, but the real test is holding it yourself."
I took the hilt from her hand.
The sword was pitch-black overall. The hilt was pure ebony, capped at the end with an ornate counterweight for perfect balance.
A straight crossguard extended to both sides, and running up the center of the blade was an engraved triangular pattern. The thin, etched triangle tapered off at the one-third mark along the blade.
I gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the sword vertically in front of my chest, point toward the ceiling. Ceres smirked as she watched.
"Like it? Anything off? Go ahead and swing it here. Just don't break the furniture. Actually, knowing you, I might let a couple things slide. As long as it's not the expensive stuff."
"...Doesn't seem to be."
I tuned out Ceres's excited chatter with one ear and let it flow out the other as I slowly examined the blade's surface.
My reflection stared back from the gray steel, smooth and polished enough to double as a mirror. With proper care, it would stay that sharp for life.
Even I—who'd only ever handled kitchen knives, utility knives, and carving tools before possessing this BrDK 4 body—could tell right away just how razor-edged it was.
"Looks like no complaints, so my skills haven't dulled yet. Oh, one more thing. This one's from back when I was obsessed with swords, so it has extra features. Like this—huh?"
Before Ceres could finish, I squeezed the hilt and poured my 'will' into it. The gray blade flushed blue in an instant, like mana.
"What? How'd you know?"
I stayed silent, infused my will again, and gripped tighter. The blue blade split down the center—gold on the left, silver on the right.
"...You knew that too? What are you, anyway? How?"
"Who knows. I have no idea. Maybe the sword told me."
"When did anything I make turn into an ego sword?"
It was just like the game's NPC original for Ceres had explained, but I couldn't reveal that, so I brushed it off shamelessly. Ceres looked utterly baffled.
I gripped the hilt hard again, and the blade reverted to gray. The soft white glow illuminating the room faded away.
I slid the sword into the scabbard Ceres had given me. It clicked satisfyingly, locking in with perfect precision. I secured the scabbard to my belt.
*At last, the day has come to claim this.*
This was the sword known in the game as 'Wingless Nightmare.'
Among all weapons in Brightest Darkness 4, it boasted absurdly overpowered specs—the absolute best, strongest one-handed sword.
It had the reach of a colossal greatsword, massive attack hitboxes, super armor that shrugged off every attack in BrDK 4, top-tier attack modifiers, stellar base stats, excellent scaling with upgrades, light weight, attack speed just a hair slower than a dagger, devastating special ability damage for minimal mana cost, three attribute-based special abilities, no elemental weaknesses against monsters, free enchanting with built-in amplification.
With this alone, I could deal physical, magical, and holy damage—by switching attributes like I just did.
It had every cheat-like trait imaginable.
Hiding a weapon this broken in an optional sub-quest chain you couldn't even stumble on by normal means—and requiring that infuriating holy water delivery to boot—made the devs' intentions crystal clear.
If that bullshit delivery quest were mandatory, the BrDK 4 devs would've been sunk to the Pacific seabed long ago.
"It's exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Ceres."
"Thanks? If anyone's thanking someone, it's me. This is all thanks to you guys."
Ceres beamed, slyly drawing her arms together to emphasize her chest. Beneath the skimpy underbust crop top she wore for smithing, breasts of truly monstrous size gathered.
Rivaling the popes—or maybe a size larger—they were busts that made the term "busty" feel inadequate. Sweat beaded in her cleavage, tracing curves down the vast mounds.
Her old clothes no longer fit, so she'd hastily stitched together scraps. Even covering her nipples was a close call.
"Oh, there is one uncomfortable thing. 'These boobs are so huge' it's hard to smith."
Ceres emphasized that specific phrase, grinning nonstop. Ignoring my gaze—or rather, inviting me to ogle—she kneaded her own breasts for good measure.
The moment she downed the completed elixir and saw her chest balloon bigger than her head, Ceres had groped them ecstatically, nipples exposed as her top shredded, jumping for joy.
If Minerva hadn't intervened and told her to put on some clothes, she probably would've bounded around groping those jiggling tits for ages.
Regaining her senses just barely, she'd insisted on upgrading my weapon with her very soul and holed up in the workshop—that was mere hours ago.
Outside the window, the sun dipped low, painting the sky in sunset hues.
"You'll have to get used to the discomfort from now on."
"I know. 'Boobs too big' must be a pain. But what can you do? It's all because my tits are huge. Gotta accept it."
I recalled the NPC who'd laughed about how 'hair too lush is a hassle to wash.' I cracked a subtle smile. Luckily, Ceres didn't notice.
"Then we'll be off."
"Huh? Already? I was gonna crack open some booze. Take some with you—no charge."
"We have things to do. We'll visit again when we have time."
Minerva had been puffing her cheeks and tugging my sleeve insistently. Time to hunt for the crystal scroll.
Any longer here, and she'd ditch all dignity as grand magus, flop to the floor, and throw a tantrum to go find it now.
"Anytime you guys wanna drop by, come on over—no need to worry!"
Ceres saw us off all the way outside, waving vigorously. Each swing sent her head-sized breasts bouncing with overwhelming presence.
Once we were far enough, Minerva spoke up.
"Good thing she didn't notice your expression."
"...Yeah."
I let out a small sigh.
"It's not permanent, right?"
Minerva had deduced it from my face alone. I nodded with a wry smile.
In the game, the original NPC for Ceres—who gained lush hair from the hair growth potion—smiled happily while crafting the player's chosen weapon.
But the effect wasn't permanent.
After clearing the main story and final bosses of each route, returning showed her hairless, despondent, drowning sorrows in booze.
Ceres's fate was the same. In a few years, she'd revert to that flat, nipple-barring desolation.
That's why I couldn't laugh along. I knew how those breasts would end.
"Off to find the crystal scroll now, kid?"
"Weapon secured, so yeah."
Snapping from my thoughts, I unfolded the map and pinpointed the crystal scroll's location from memory. Minerva stared at me anxiously.
"Here."
I pointed. A deep mountain valley. Minerva checked the coordinates and raised her staff for instant teleport.
In a blink, we were there. Stunned by the scenery shift, Minerva prodded me.
"Tell me what to do here."
"Uh... find a waterfall first. A massive one."
Minerva pulsed mana waves immediately. Eyes closed in focus, she swung her staff. Another blink, and the scenery changed.
A thunderous *ROOOAR* echoed from nearby.
*...Even bigger than in the game.*
I gawked at the waterfall—tall as a 20-story building, defying physics.
An entire river plummeted off a colossal cliff, spraying mist like a downpour.
Without Minerva's barrier, we'd be soaked rats.
—Here, kid? Don't hold back—just say it. I can hear everything.
Her voice rang in my head.
"Yes. This is it."
—But the survey teams checked this waterfall ages ago. Concluded nothing here.
I knew. Game docs mentioned repeated surveys.
A waterfall this huge screamed "secret behind it." Ancient-scroll-obsessed mages surely checked.
The hunch was right.
But the spot was wrong.
"Not behind the waterfall—below it."
I pointed where it cascaded. Mist billowed, whirlpools churned amid the torrent.
"Could you divert the waterfall's flow elsewhere for a bit, Minerva? Just clear the drop zone."
Minerva complied instantly. Her staff tapped the ground. A mirror-like portal opened, sucking in the water and redirecting it aside.
Side streams filled the gap, but the roar silenced. Between falling streams, a eerie pond formed.
"Now what?"
"Keep the spell up. Won't take long."
I stood calmly. Minerva fidgeted beside me. So close to the scroll, her patience plummeted.
How much time passed?
"Ah!"
With a startled gasp, a stone structure rose from the former cascade point.
Some pressure sensor on it spun gears when the water vanished, lifting it—I didn't know the details.
"...So that's how it was. Buried underground—no detection spell would've found it. Even if it did, just another rock."
Minerva murmured. Detection scanned surfaces, not buried depths.
The deluge would've hidden it anyway. Magic wasn't omnipotent here.
The one beside me came close, but she was the exception.
"Really, hidden in a place like this..."
Minerva stared blankly. No reaction to my waving hand, so I flicked her forehead. Crystal scroll was close; it'd slide.
"...Ow?"
"Let's go in, Minerva. Gonna just stand there? With the crystal scroll right below?"
"No, kid. Of course not. Let's hurry in."
I followed the flustered Minerva, calling out.
"Watch for traps, Minerva!"
As she stepped onto the structure heedless—
*CRUNCH!*
Spikes erupted beside her, shattering against her barrier. The grisly sound snapped her alert; she scanned around.
Dungeons varied—some monster-packed, others trap-laden like this.
The rune dungeon with rock centipedes was monster-only; this crystal scroll one used traps and layout for foes.
But.
"Keep going, kid?"
Before overwhelming power, mere traps were nothing.