Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Reversal of the Law (7)
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The Vortex Serpent split its shadow into dozens of strands and attacked Shirone.
Shirone was defenseless against the tentacles flying at him from all directions.
In that instant, his laser scattered, spreading into multiple beams.
It was an excellent strategy to disperse the energy and destroy each tentacle individually. But the drop in damage per second was unavoidable.
Shadows thicker than a giant’s thigh closed in on Shirone.
The onlookers screamed. It felt as if Shirone’s body would be torn to shreds at any moment.
One tentacle, unable to withstand the accumulated energy, exploded. Then, all the other tentacles erupted in a chain reaction.
The explosions followed one another, pushing back to the main body.
The Vortex Serpent extended new tentacles, but Shirone now knew—it was faster to reach energy saturation than it was for the tentacles to reach him.
Just as Shirone’s energy was dispersed, the Vortex Serpent’s durability had to be dispersed as well.
The battle that followed was a clash of light and darkness.
Like two fleets on the ocean exchanging a relentless barrage from a distance, every time the dozens of tentacles left afterimages, Shirone’s flash followed and blew them apart.
The tempo of attack and defense was so fast that it was impossible to follow the shadow’s movements with the naked eye.
Shirone fired his laser, relying on his Spirit Zone’s synesthesia for seventy percent of his senses.
The points of emission numbered in the dozens, and the hyper-dimensional race of light dominated the space.
Now, it was a question of who would tire first.
Shirone sensed his defeat. He felt like he would burst into tears from the tension, but his mind, focused on the battle, wouldn't even allow his expression to change.
Just as Shirone’s consciousness began to fade, the Vortex Serpent cried out. It, too, was fighting with all its might.
The thought brought a sense of kinship.
The Vortex Serpent thrashed as if it sensed its own death, but there was no space left in its shadow to absorb the energy.
The laser’s energy shook the entirety of the Vortex Serpent.
A massive explosion blew away its torso, scattering fragments of shadow.
The gradually thinning laser vanished in front of Shirone, dot by dot like a water droplet.
The people watched the situation unfold, completely still.
Shirone, too, fought the urge to collapse and glared at the Vortex Serpent’s incarnation.
The light faded from the salamander’s body, returning it to the same white jade-like material as before. Then, its color seemed to pale until it vanished as if assimilated with the air.
“Is it… is it dead?”
No one could answer Tess’s question.
The creature that had lived here for ten thousand years had been analyzed by countless subjects and heretics, but death remained an unknown territory. No subject had ever managed to kill the Vortex Serpent, let alone corner it.
Rian swung his sword through the space where the salamander had been.
Gardock checked the crevices of the valley. The spirits of light, having regained their strength, were reviving with a brilliant glow.
Gardock spoke with conviction.
“It must be dead. Or at least, it’s no longer here.”
Only then did Shirone collapse to the ground. The others watched him, dumbfounded.
A man from the surface had erased a Law.
Kanya, Lena, Gardock, and Clove knew what this outcome meant.
That boy was dangerous.
It is a Law because it cannot be destroyed. God’s will can only be changed by God. Shirone had trespassed upon an inviolable domain that permitted no being to alter it.
“What… what in the world are you people? And what is that magic? How did you learn such a thing?”
The group remained silent.
In truth, even they didn't know. The principles of magic were the same, but Shirone’s magic was impossible to imitate.
The unique magic created from the God Particle had its pros and cons.
The laser had the potential to subdue strong enemies, but it was ineffective against fast-moving targets. 광폭 (Gwangpok, Berserk) was all about timing, and Photon Cannon consumed a great deal of mental energy for a basic spell.
But Shirone compensated for these weaknesses with light scattering, the durability of an adamantine body, and the infinite mental energy drawn from his Immortal Function.
The Shirone of now was in a unique position that couldn't be classified as any specific type of mage.
Canis understood why the magic society called Unlockers ‘unique.’
It wasn't just about opening the Immortal Function. It was about how well one could harmonize their balance through their own unique core.
In that sense, Shirone was becoming unique.
Clove looked at Shirone with a complicated expression.
He didn't want to harbor ill feelings, since Shirone had saved his life, but the problem was what would happen if he entered Nor society.
They could never allow themselves to be dominated by an Imitator.
Since they couldn't overpower him with skill, the only option left was to intimidate him from the start.
“Don’t get cocky over something so minor. If my master hadn't been injured, we could have escaped just fine. It’s dangerous for even heretics to carelessly remove a Law. Now that the Vortex Serpent is gone, a new Law will form, and it can no longer serve as a guide here. This time was an emergency, so it couldn't be helped, but you should be more careful in the future.”
Shirone wasn't listening. He was staring intently at something that had suddenly fallen from the sky.
It was a transparent, sparkling gem in the shape of a teardrop.
“Hey! Are you deaf? Are you ignoring me?”
Shirone finally turned his head. He pointed to the three gems that had fallen before him and asked.
“Excuse me, what are these? They seem to have fallen when the Vortex Serpent exploded.”
“Huh? This, this is…!”
Clove’s eyes widened when he saw the gems.
White Elixirs.
He had first encountered White Elixirs at ‘Nor’s Shop’ on the mainland, a massive community hub.
At the time, a Droplet Spirit, expected to be the highest-priced item at the market, was being auctioned. An independent Nor group, not belonging to the community, won the bid with 23 White Elixirs.
Unlike Water Spirits, Droplet Spirits were hard to come by. Seas and rivers were stationary, so spirits were often born there, but droplets weren't something that formed consistently.
And yet, they were magically weaker than Water Spirits.
However, contracting with a Droplet Spirit made one’s skin smooth, prevented aging, and granted minor healing abilities, making them popular among women.
From what he remembered, the value of a Droplet Spirit was about 4,600 Red Elixirs or 670 Green Elixirs.
That was the value of something that took hunting around seven thousand One-Horned Ogres to obtain, yet it was acquired for a mere 23 elixirs.
“White! It’s a White Elixir!”
Clove launched himself forward like a flying squirrel, reaching out.
Just as he was about to snatch the elixirs, Shirone scraped them off the ground.
Feeling a sorrow like the world was ending, Clove scowled and turned his head.
Of course, since Shirone had defeated the creature, they belonged to him. But the heart always covets what others have, and he couldn't give up so easily.
Especially since Shirone didn't even know the value of a White Elixir.
“Ahem, why are you looking at me like that? I was just trying to get a closer look.”
“What is this?”
“Oh, it’s… nothing special. It’s called an elixir. Heretics use them to trade goods. You have to look closely to determine its value. Can I see it for a moment?”
“Sure, okay. Here.”
Shirone readily handed over the elixir. Clove snatched it quickly, as if afraid he would change his mind.
Kanya, grasping the situation, approached with fire in her eyes.
“Hey! Why are you taking that? Even heretics must have some rules. Don’t you know that elixirs belong to the one who hunted for them?”
“Wh-what did I do? And we hunted it together.”
“What did you do? The only person here who deserves those elixirs is Shirone. Give them back.”
“Tch! Just a moment ago you were fighting, and now you’re acting all friendly? I guess there’s no Imitator or subject when elixirs are involved, huh? You think I can't see you trying to suck up to him for a handout?”
“That’s ridiculous! Subjects don't need things like elixirs! And Shirone, you better learn this if you’re going to live with the Nor! Elixirs are food, water, air, and life. Especially White Elixirs, they’re incredibly valuable! You can’t just hand them over like that.”
“It’s fine. He said he just wanted to take a look, so I showed him.”
“What if he runs away with them? What will you do then?”
Shirone leaned back, planting his hands on the ground.
“Haha! How is he going to run away?”
“What do you mean, how? He’ll just…”
Kanya stopped mid-sentence and blinked.
Come to think of it, what was Clove going to do after snatching the White Elixirs when he had no skill to back it up?
Shirone’s friends, standing behind him, were watching Gardock’s every move. But they showed no signs of tension.
They knew that if Shirone wanted to, subduing Clove wouldn't even take a second.
Clove seemed to reach the same conclusion, a flustered look on his face. It seemed his judgment had been clouded by greed. It was a relief, if anything, that he hadn't revealed his true intentions.
Gardock looked at him with pity and said.
“Clove, give it back. That is not something you can handle.”
Clove, his face red, handed back the elixir.
“I was just trying to take a look. Here. I’ve seen enough.”
Shirone took the elixirs. Tossing them in his palm and observing how they reflected the sunlight, he asked Gardock.
“So, what are these used for? You called them elixirs?”
Gardock checked how much the spirits of light had recovered. Judging by the rapidly strengthening light, it seemed they could depart in about five minutes.
“To survive in Purgatory, human strength alone is not enough. The environment is harsh, and food is scarce. Some places are plagued by disease, and in others, unquenchable sulfur fires burn the air, making it impossible to breathe. Elixirs are items that allow humans to live in such environments. There are five colors, but none is truly superior to another. Every color is essential. However, they are graded based on rarity. The White Elixir is the second rarest. Thanks to its properties of regeneration and purification, it’s an essential ingredient in devices that create air and in medicines that heal wounds.”
“I see. Can I buy things with this?”
“Of course. There will be merchants at the Nor’s shelter we’re heading to, so you can buy whatever you want. But for something like a White Elixir, you’ll probably have to go to Nor’s Shop. It’s the most active market on the mainland.”
A question popped into Shirone’s mind.
Three elixirs from the Vortex Serpent.
But if such items were commonly traded, it meant someone was hunting creatures of a similar grade to the Vortex Serpent.
Hearing Shirone’s question, Gardock readily agreed.
“Purgatory is vast. Incredibly vast. The Nor have built their own society, but countless communities existed long before us. The place we’re going to is merely the closest to paradise. We don’t even dare to venture into the world beyond that. White Elixirs come from beyond that border. From those who can travel much farther than we can.”
Hoping there would be many merchants at the Nor’s shelter, Shirone tucked the elixirs away.
Just like in his original world, gold was just another mineral if it couldn't be exchanged for goods. No matter how rare a White Elixir was, if there was something he needed, it was better to buy it outright since he wasn't planning on settling down in Purgatory.
As people gathered in the crevice of the valley, Gardock grasped a spirit of light. His body began to glow as the ancient magic Elizer activated, and a white radiance spread through the valley’s gap.
The blade-like, scattered edges of light softened, revealing the original landscape.
A desolate wind seeped into the place where the people had vanished.
5. Nor’s Shelter (1)
The ruins of an ancient structure were buried in the field. A shallow stream flowed by, and wildflowers bloomed along its banks.
The ruins, aged with time, felt more comforting than desolate. Butterflies fluttered through a leaning archway, and a few people were resting nearby.
Having arrived at the Nor’s shelter, Shirone surveyed the destination point.
A beam of light shone down like a spotlight. Looking closer, he saw spirits of light flying along the pillar of light.
It seemed the ancient magic Elizer was a spell that allowed one to travel from light to light.