Chapter 142
Chapter 142
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: The Fallen One
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Fallen One.
Kradhur, with his five arms severed.
He stared at me in stunned horror.
'A bit disappointing.'
I'd aimed to take his head clean off in one go.
But the newly evolved Black Sea still didn't obey my every whim.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ A curious change. 'Huh?'
-Normally, the advanced sword art of the Black Sea is called Annihilating Sea. If your darkness-cleaving technique is the Dark Moon, then Annihilating Sea summons countless waves of darkness to overwhelm the foe.
'...Is that so?'
-As you might have guessed... the Black Sea begins by creating waves of darkness. It's a bit different from Dark Moon. Dark Moon feels like slamming down pure darkness itself, while Black Sea forms waves into slashing attacks.
'But that's not what mine did, right?'
-Exactly. It's proof your sword art is changing. Whether it's a gain or a loss, I don't know... but somehow, I feel like the path you're on is the right one.
'Yeah?'
As I replied to the holy sword.
I prepared my final strike.
Just moments ago, that bizarre sensation of merging sword ki formed from the hero's orthodox techniques into one.
And when I infused it with Black Sea.
'It's like I almost get it.'
An elusive, tantalizing feeling wrapped around me.
But I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the fight. It wasn't over yet.
Pzzt!!
The purple lightning lingering on my Thunder Dragon Sword deepened in hue.
And smashed into Kradhur's head as he lunged at me in a desperate final struggle, jaws wide.
'Tough bastard.'
I looked at Kradhur with disgust.
Even combining the power of the Lightning God with the hero's orthodox sword arts, only half his head was blown off.
-Demonic energy. It strips away reason but infuses the body with terrifying vitality. Later on, some even show strength like a fortress wall made of flesh.
'...Can you even take down something like that?'
-If you're a hero, you have to.
The holy sword responded firmly to my disgusted tone.
Wow, being a hero really sucks.
No, the Sword Hero's up front, so maybe I can just hang back and shoot arrows.
-...A guy who won't even return the holy sword.
'...'
But first things first.
I needed to find something like the Seed of Evil.
*
Finding the Seed of Evil was simple.
My gift, enhanced by the Thief God's domain, was ridiculously effective for this.
'I was always pretty good at scouting before.'
Now, it felt like skipping the process and jumping straight to the result.
-Unlucky bastard.
'...'
The holy sword said it with some inexplicable resentment.
Guess it has some bad history.
Anyway, I eyed the Seed of Evil.
Thump, thump.
It pulsed like a blackened heart, radiating presence.
'Normally, even other level 9s couldn't deal with this.'
But I'm different.
Steal Strike.
Steal it away, and the Seed of Evil vanishes.
Still, one thing puzzled me.
'It was supposed to go to someone else.'
How the hell do you deliver this?
-That's a mystery. Maybe he doesn't even know it's here.
'...Doubt it.'
Someone with a black-market aura wouldn’t make mistakes that sloppy.
Maybe something changed from what he knew.
I stared at the Seed of Evil.
The one I got before, I handed to the guild master.
She said she'd analyze it and give fitting compensation.
'Did the Seed of Evil open a tunnel?'
Despite the name, its functions were limited to just two.
But those two were insanely powerful.
Demon King.
He called his minions beast apostles.
The Seed of Evil summons one of those elite soldiers called apostles.
An elite that could kill one of us even with Volkan, the guild master, and Black Hope Palace there.
And a barrier that could withstand a simultaneous assault from three level 9s.
'...Those two abilities are way too broken.'
With that thought, I stole the Seed of Evil with Steal Strike.
-Unbelievable. The toughest hurdle, cleared this easily.
'For me, Kradhur was the real pain.'
Need to hone my sword more.
Would love to learn aura or something if I can.
-Aura isn't easy to begin with. You can reach level 7 for it, but even then, almost no one gets it.
'What?'
-Completing your own intent and imposing it on the world. Fail, and you drop out right before. That's level 7.
'Why make it sound so hard?'
-Put differently, melt your life into your sword. You've come this far too easily... I worry you might break here, but I think you can surpass it differently.
'How strong do you get with that intent?'
-At least tenfold. Kradhur's defense wouldn't be such a hassle.
...Talks in circles.
But I get the gist.
Intent is incredibly powerful.
Handling it is the level 7 requirement. Even level 7s struggle with it.
Suddenly, I recalled a chat with Volkan long ago.
-That's why they're freaky. You believe there's power greater than mana?
-Does that exist?
-Why do they hate divine power? Labyrinths appeared over a millennium ago, but divine power predates that. Why no countermeasures?
-What's this about?
-Fighting spirit, mana, stamina. There's something above. Divine power draws from it, so priests hurt them bad.
If that's the intent the holy sword means.
'Melt my life into my sword.'
The holy sword stressed infusing will into power.
Suddenly, I thought of my gift, Overlord.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Overlord (S+)] ◇ Absolute correction to fighting spirit, mind, and magic power. ◇ Maximum intimidation correction against perceived enemies. ◇ Maximum favorability correction toward opposite sex with dangerous tastes. ...Still, that last line seems unnecessary.
I focused on the first.
Absolute correction to fighting spirit, mind, and magic power.
Isn't mind that intent thing?
Then.
'Shall I give it a try?'
But later.
Priority's right in front of me.
I looked at the Seed of Evil.
-So when are you dealing with that?
'...What if I take down the elite soldier coming through it?'
-What?
The holy sword sounded dumbfounded.
-Just try. You heard me say even three level 9s couldn't stop one from killing someone.
'The Seed of Evil is just a passage, right?'
-Yeah... wait, you...
'If Steal Strike can steal the seed itself... what if I cut the passage midway?'
-You'd enter imaginary space.
'What's that?'
-Roughly, this world is real space. Imaginary space is the path for teleportation or spatial powers. It's a place of primal chaos.
'Simply.'
-...Even a Demon King's minion—no, even the Demon King—can't guarantee survival there.
Then.
I grinned wide.
-Grinning wickedly again.
Defamation.
*
A bit more time passed.
Two more arrived.
"...It's really the Seed of Evil."
Volkan squinted at it.
"The master's word can't be wrong."
Cheong Yurang shook her head at Volkan's words.
I'd brought the two strongest in my current forces.
Cheong Yurang was weaker than So Yeonhwa.
'But if she turns into Fenrir, it changes things.'
-To think you'd leave a monster like that lying around.
'...'
Ignoring the holy sword, I looked at Volkan and Cheong Yurang.
"But this servant thinks it's not simple."
"Hm?"
"The Seed of Evil. Even the Beast King—my father—and Volkan here couldn't destroy it together."
"Calls him master but doesn't know his abilities."
Tsk, Volkan clicked his tongue.
His mouth was stuffed with meat buns, eyes twinkling mischievously.
I closed my eyes and focused.
Steal Strike felt no burden stealing the Seed of Evil now.
'...Then.'
How about severing the elite soldier's path through it?
'Possible.'
My instincts screamed yes.
But somehow.
'Something feels off.'
Using this might disadvantage my future self.
'...What is this feeling?'
This would harm future me?
-What's wrong?
'...Just a weird hunch.'
But my instincts never betrayed me in this world.
Still, I had doubts about this one.
Maybe I...
I shook off the ridiculous thought.
Acting casual, I quietly stole the Seed of Evil.
My hand vanished somewhere, grasped something.
Pulled it back.
"...!"
The Seed of Evil was gone, shrunken in my hand.
Cheong Yurang gaped at me.
"Th-this?"
"My gift. The root of why I became a thief."
I grinned at her.
*
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Sub Quest Completed.] Then, time to check the reward.