Chapter 13: In the Past, the Abyss Mocked Providence and Toyed with the World
In the past, the Abyss mocked providence and toyed with the world.
Mages who interpreted providence completed their rituals, yet the Abyss only laughed.
Their magic was instead tainted by the Abyss and turned back upon the mages themselves.
Those who opposed providence with their physical prowess took up arms, but the Abyss rejoiced.
The strength they had built became the Abyss's power in turn.
The Abyss was irrationality itself.
Like disasters, the world held its breath and lived on in fear.
In a world filled with defeat and despair, the first Sword Saint raised the brilliant light called hope.
That light was a torch illuminating the darkness, a beacon guiding those trembling in fear.
Aura Blade. When applied to the sword, it becomes Sword Aura. Or Sword Aura.
The radiant sword. And the sword of the stars.
Many names, but all refer to one thing.
A miracle.
Aura Blade was the light that annihilated the Abyss.
Only a rare few could become beings capable of wielding that miracle.
Through endless self-training and tempering, one could be reborn as a Master, a being who manifested miracles.
Fragments of the past, once implemented through the Status Window's stats and traits.
The miracle permitted only to those who reached Master.
Forcibly manifested.
Starlight engulfs the blade!
Flash—!
Starlight enveloped the sword.
Just manifesting it tore my body apart.
My left eye burst with burst blood vessels, seeing red.
Having circulated mana too hastily through my circuits, one of my ears ruptured.
Balance crumbled.
This damage from manifesting Aura Blade was worse than the wounds from that bastard.
But I had to use it anyway.
Vague sword aura would just be fodder for the Swallower's Power.
To grab and crush that fucking Swallower's Power, this was the only way.
The way to catch that repulsive snake that endlessly devoured to regenerate and grow stronger was simple.
Overwhelming firepower.
"No... fucking... way!!"
The Abyss's maggot spat shock the moment it saw the light that could annihilate it.
I bent my knees and lowered my stance.
No time to hesitate.
"Here I go."
The duration of the forcibly manifested Aura Blade was about 2.3 seconds.
The starlight already covering the sword began to fade.
I stepped forward and slashed once.
Slash—!
A straight line etched into the massive wooden barrier the bastard had formed to devour Rapi's magic.
Rumble—!
The giant teeth shattered at once, collapsing with the wooden barrier.
Sword aura couldn't sever its tentacles, but Sword Aura sliced them effortlessly.
"No way! No fucking way no way! Don't fuck with me! How the hell can a mere Red-rank like you use that miracle!!!"
Wooden tentacles burst from the screaming bastard's body.
Like a hedgehog.
"A mere 'me'? I'm a hero who saved the world, asshole."
Even hard-to-cut wooden tentacles tangled and shot toward me.
No problem.
I charged forward, swinging the sword again.
One swing severed all tentacles in the path.
"Tch."
Even after slicing them, their numbers seemed endless.
How much had it devoured?
"Even the Starlit Sword!! Doesn't matter!! I'll just devour it!!"
It thrust forward the sleeve of its robe.
From the shadow-dark part, its arm emerged.
A normal human arm.
I thought it was a full-on wooden tentacle monster.
Normally, devouring others to this extent would rot the body and soul.
But its soul was no ordinary thing.
"Chew and swallow. Then die."
Strange.
For a guy who tricked and devoured adventurers like bugs to grow strong, it had quite the experience.
Tough soul, holding me off like this—probably had power beyond Swallower's Power.
Tch. Useless thoughts.
Slash first, think later.
As if matching its will, the devouring maw opened and closed relentlessly.
Crunch-! Crunch-! Crunch—!!
The Swallower's Power repeatedly manifested, biting at mana.
"!?"
But the starlight on the sword didn't leak a single bit.
"You think I haven't fought bastards like you before?"
Hell, I'd crushed worse.
I'd even beaten the owner of that power it used.
Just like when I butchered the Swallower, the toothy snake—I'll annihilate you.
I advanced, swinging the starlit sword.
Even after slashing, tentacles kept coming.
It kept firing them to block my approach.
Wooden tentacles surging from all directions.
Even rising from underground.
Slash—!
I severed them all.
A brief opening appeared.
I bent my knees and leaped.
Distance closed.
One more swing and it's over.
"Get lost!!"
The maggot bastard made its final struggle.
Mana waves spread from it again.
Just die already.
Nothing ever went easy.
"Ha ha ha! Too bad! I can see that light fading!! My victory is—!"
As it said, Sword Aura's duration was down to 0.4 seconds.
If swept by the approaching mana wave, the forced Aura Blade would scatter.
"Heh ha ha ha ha..."
The laughing bug bastard.
Thinks it's won, huh.
"Raaah!!"
I headbutted straight into the mana wave.
Fucking hurts.
"What the—!?"
Impact shook my head.
Vision blurred.
Images wouldn't focus.
Like laundry in a spinning washer, my sight kept shaking.
But it was fine.
I protected the hand holding the sword somehow.
"You madman!"
To its admiration, I kindly raised my sword in response.
Slash.
Starlight crossed the Abyss.
"No fucking—!"
The bastard couldn't even scream properly.
Cleaved in half by Sword Aura, it collapsed.
I'd somehow taken down the Abyss's seed.
The moment I slashed, the starlight vanished from the sword.
A bit later and I might not have made it.
I could've collapsed instead of the Abyss.
But in the end, victory was always mine.
"Fuck, I'm gonna die."
I stabbed the sword into the ground and leaned on it like a cane, gasping for breath.
Crack—!
A cracking sound rang out.
"Ugh."
The sword that had cracked blocking its wooden tentacles.
Now infused with Aura Blade, of course it shattered.
Bang—!
The metal blade exploded like glass shards.
My body, leaning on it, sprawled awkwardly on the ground.
Falling, shards cut new wounds into me.
What a pain in the ass.
"Evan!! Amazing!! You beat the Abyss! And that sword aura at the end... You're a Master-level powerhouse?! Not Red, but Gold-rank adventurer!?"
Rapi came running from afar.
"I'm dying here, so shut up."
Her loud fussing pierced my burst eardrum, making me dizzy.
I just wanted to lie here and rest.
Not even strength to twitch a finger.
Still, needed basic first aid.
To recover faster.
I pulled a potion from inventory.
Should've gripped it, but no strength—potion rolled away on the ground.
"Rapi, potion... please."
"Yes—! Stay lying down, Evan. I'll feed you."
As the potion went in, my body began recovering faintly.
Good thing I'd stocked up in Rimhold before the Shadow Forest quest, just in case.
With Rapi's help, I felt much better.
"Phew... Thanks, Rapi."
"No, I didn't do anything. It was all your hard work, Evan."
Rapi shook her head.
"No, you really helped. I needed time to use Sword Aura."
"Hehe... Really? Glad I helped."
Blushing, Rapi scratched the back of her head.
"What about Anna?"
"..."
Should I tell her she betrayed us?
Dunno.
Unlike my worn-out soul, this kid had a pure one.
As I pondered, Rapi spoke first.
"...Anna betrayed us, didn't she?"
"Yeah."
"I see. I'm okay, Evan."
Rapi's face didn't show much shock.
Thought she was just naive and dumb.
Guess not entirely.
"Evan, you're thinking something rude, aren't you!?"
"Shut up. Don't torment the patient."
I closed my eyes, ending the talk.
Glanced inward briefly.
Total mess.
Price of forcing Aura Blade.
Needed rest, no exertion for a while.
Even with Status Window restricted, this wasn't a technique that wrecked the body like this.
Could've taken more time for safe manifestation, but no choice.
Skipped several mana compression steps.
Circulated and compressed mana through circuits simultaneously—tore the passages to shreds.
Lucky my experience and know-how pulled it off successfully.
Any mistake in manifesting Aura Blade, and my body would've burst like a balloon.
Practically self-destruct.
But it cut time massively.
Can't use it twice, though.
"...Ban-nim! Evan!! Wake up!!"
Rapi's scream and shaking jolted my eyes open.
Oh god, please no.
Rapi already thrust her staff forward.
Faint electricity flickered and vanished.
"Ah... mana..."
Looked like she'd really used up all mana on that last spell.
I propped up my upper body with what recovery the potion gave.
From the bisected bastard, multiple wooden tentacles emerged.
Cra...nch—! Cra...nch...—!
Teeth on tentacles repeated biting and swallowing.
No monster emergency rations left, no mana—what the hell was it doing?
Kwa...nch!! Gulp...!
Biting empty air, but teeth chomped 'something.'
One bite, and the bisected body rejoined.
Two bites, and it rose.
Three bites, and stronger mana than ever flowed from it.
"Fuck your mom."
Familiar mana from the bastard devouring empty air.
What it devoured was the life mana overflowing in Shadow Forest.
This is cheating.
Just die nicely.
Abyss bastards always pulled this shit.
"I have now touched immortality. Thanks, bug. Thanks to you, I comprehended how to use 'Devour'!"
Wooden tentacles sprouted from it.
Teeth on them blackened.
It had sunk deeper into the Abyss.
"If you're thankful, spare me?"
"Heh ha ha! Ha—!!"
Abyss-infused laughter spread.
"Ugh...! Evan... I'll buy time, so run!!"
Struggling against the Abyss in that laugh, yet telling me to run?
I grabbed my trembling legs and forced myself up.
"No, Evan!!! You're in no shape! You saved my life last time—now it's my turn!"
Rapi, tears brimming.
The kid's legs shook in fear.
"Shut up, kid."
Sword broken, inventory weapons depleted.
No choice.
No teeth? Use gums.
I raised both hands.
"Your mom."
I flipped it the bird.
"...! Die!!"
Just one kind word, and it stopped laughing, unleashing tentacles.
Narrow-minded fuck, just like it looked.
Wooden tentacles moved behind it.
Twisting like springs loading bullets.
Death approached.
"Devour you, and now I—!"
Pffft—!
A massive greatsword burst from its chest.
A familiar greatsword.
Brimming with sharp energy.
Energy that hunted spirits and severed evil.
Once my beloved blade, given to Hayes for its traits.
"Soul-Cutting Demon Blade...?"
I was dreaming.
Of journeys saving the world with him.
Against the Abyss dragging the world to ruin, he always raised his sword.
His sword brimmed with light.
Starlight-like glow.
The starry sky he showed wrapped his blade.
His sword saved not just her, but countless others.
Unlike those saved, he suffered against ineffable foes.
Always wounded, losing consciousness repeatedly, enduring agony—yet he always smiled.
Once asked him.
Why go so far to save the world?
To that foolish question, he laughed.
Like when he saved her.
Consciousness surfaced.
Awakened from a happy dream.
"..."
Not by her own will.
External intervention roused her.
Clank—!
Turning, the Death Knight knelt.
"My liege, forgive me. Please mete out punishment."
"But one being came, and I had no choice but to wake you."
"..."
Her head tilted.
Permission to continue.
The Death Knight bowed deeply.
"A man named Evan requests an audience with you, my liege."