Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Return Journey
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A pitch-black mass floated in the air, and bones began sprouting around it in an instant.
Starting with the spine and ribs, the skeleton proliferated repeatedly until it formed arms, legs, and a skull before finally stopping.
Soon, red glows erupted from the deeply recessed black eye sockets.
[Huuuugh—]
Whoosh—!
Dense black magic rose like blazing flames from the body made only of bones.
It was the moment Archlich Dwell McCain fully revived.
'If only the origin remains, it can regenerate this quickly just with black magic. It's cheat-like no matter how many times I see it.'
As Hans inwardly clicked his tongue at the sight, Dwell, now able to move, immediately prostrated himself toward Hans and let out a cry of感動.
[Ohhh— Immortal King! I truly thought I'd been defeated by that hero...! As expected, Your Majesty is incredible!]
His last memory was of the hero's holy power swallowing him after he'd lost his body and only his origin remained.
Yet when he came to, he was somehow in the Immortal King's hand?
'I don't know why the hero didn't just erase me right then, but even so, I should've ended up sealed deep in some temple.'
He had no idea how much time had passed since then or how he'd been rescued...
[Dwell McCain.]
Right now, nothing mattered more than the fact that the Immortal King stood before him.
Hum—
With the invocation of his name, a new contract overlaid the old one.
[Ahh— This Dwell McCain pledges eternal loyalty to the Immortal King!]
Three hundred years after the first, a new master-servant bond was forged here.
As the archlich burned with zeal, a hazy figure flickered beside them before taking the form of a woman.
It was Banshee Queen Olivia, clad in a black-veiled hat and a dress like mourning garb.
[Your servant, Olivia... greets the King...]
[Yes, Olivia. What brings you here so suddenly?]
[I have come to deliver... an interim report on the command Your Majesty issued...]
The order Hans had given her was to dig up every scrap of information she could on the Oath of Reverse Heaven.
It hadn't been long since Harley entered the northern mountains, so not much time had passed.
[Ho— Already?]
Olivia continued her report.
She had first swept through the entire western region as her territory.
Not only the places she could investigate directly, but she also monitored people entering and exiting barrier-sealed areas to trace their connections.
She had already uncovered several of their hideouts, and that number was only expected to grow with time.
[We have now expanded the investigation to parts of the central Empire... and are keeping a close watch on locations suspected to be key strongholds...]
She had already pushed into the central region.
As expected, her competence was terrifying.
[Kehhehe— Excellent, very good. Well done, Olivia. I look forward to your continued efforts.]
[This servant... shall shatter these bones for the King...]
At Hans's praise, Olivia demurely grasped the hem of her dress with both hands and bowed.
[Lady Olivia has no bones or body, so how can she shatter them...?]
[Dwell.]
[...Yes! Immortal King, command me!]
Dwell, who had been forgotten in the corner amid her appearance, grumbled lowly before bowing his head again at Hans's call.
[I have a task for you right away. For the time being, move with Olivia and assist her.]
[As you command!]
Having more capable subordinates certainly made things easier.
Just give them orders, and they'd handle most matters on their own.
[Olivia, subjugate them alongside Dwell. You may take Karam if needed.]
[All as the King wills...]
Place the right pieces in the right spots—send stronger subordinates to tougher defenses.
And if even that failed to breach a place...
'Then it must be that important a stronghold.'
And that place would receive a visit from the returned Immortal King.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Die!"
Kwachik—!
Harley's massive fist crushed the monster's head.
It was a routine scene repeated countless times.
The number of monsters they encountered only grew as time passed, but the party suffered no further casualties.
And astonishingly, it was all thanks to one person.
"Uahaha—! Come at me, all of you—!"
His booming roar carried a strange vibration that spread outward...
"Grargh—!"
"Kieeeek!"
...provoking the monsters and drawing all their attention solely to Harley.
The fate of those charging at him went without saying.
Pukeok!
Splatter—!
Body parts flew, blood staining the surroundings.
The monsters were being literally torn apart.
"...I thought he was impressive before, but."
"Mm, indeed. I think I know what you mean."
Led by mage Fabiella and knight Robin, the party—now able to hold much more comfortably thanks to the tank drawing aggro across a wide area—each chimed in.
Even the monsters they were fighting lost focus toward Harley whenever he burst into mad laughter, making it easy to finish them off in those openings.
"Once we're back, I need to make sure to tell my contacts. Don't mess with that guy if you don't want to die."
"...Not outright, but plenty looked down on him subtly. I'll warn my acquaintances too. I don't want to see funerals breaking out."
He rampaged like a monster, yet Harley's appearance hadn't changed much.
Still the hulking, violent barbarian warrior with savage grin.
But the results were on another level.
His punches casually pulverized monster bodies, his fingertips piercing tough hides effortlessly.
His swift, heavy movements sent foes flying just from collision, and his chiseled muscles remained unscathed against any impact.
"He really has no intention of using an axe, huh."
"He says it doesn't feel right. What can you do? I've heard some minor church monks fight like that, but this is... less martial art and more..."
"Primal."
Ranger Hans and Charlton murmured softly.
Amid everyone's admiration, one person stared at the scene with dissatisfaction.
"...Tch."
Dwarf Jaonik Steelstone.
As the skirmish wrapped up and they moved on, he couldn't hold back and approached Harley directly.
"Hey, Harley! I've got one question for you!"
His words addressed the unease he'd felt watching Harley lately.
A seemingly valid doubt: how could someone so strong fail to protect Elinne?
And it was exactly what Harley had anticipated.
'But I can't hide my power forever. That would defeat the purpose of gaining it.'
He was fully prepared with an excuse.
"Ahem, ah— I see. I understand how you feel! But this ties into my past, you see."
"...Past?"
Harley cleared his throat and glanced lightly at Jaonik and the others.
The rest showed no overt reaction but subtly signaled interest.
No matter what, it was too different from how he'd been until he left alone.
They'd been rushing travel, so they hadn't heard details, but they were just as curious.
'I'm planning to ask Jaonik to look after Howard, so no need to leave suspicions over something trivial.'
Besides, everyone here was talented.
Building good relations wouldn't hurt.
He nodded lightly and slowly opened his mouth.
Thus began Act 7 of the great epic now being written: 'Harley's Great Adventure.'
"Everything went smoothly at first. The enemy was tough, but escaping alone was doable. But..."
Fearsome pursuers: Twin-Headed Ogre and hordes of monsters.
Harley escaped peril with Elinne's help amid the crisis.
But in the heart of the demon-infested northern mountains, things couldn't go perfectly.
After catching his breath, what appeared before him was...!
"Looks like more monsters incoming. We'll continue the story later."
"Ah, yeah—!"
"...Right. Not the time for chit-chat. Everyone, battle stations."
Several battles, rests, and treks repeated.
As they steadily pressed on through the routine, reaching the mountains' end, Harley's ongoing tale neared its close.
"It was a moment I never saw coming. I thought I was done for..."
Like a shattered shield blocking a bullet for the protagonist, Elinne—the pickaxe—took the fatal blow meant for him and broke apart.
Thanks to her sacrifice, Harley barely survived and finally realized.
"In that crisis, I awakened to something latent in my blood. And that it was both the reason I'd been experimented on and the power to overcome it."
To aid understanding, he recapped the early parts of 'Harley's Great Adventure.'
Including Act 4, Chapter 3: being subjected to biological experiments by the evil black mage Hans.
Of course, it wasn't a leisurely time for stories, so he condensed it heavily—but that drew unexpected enthusiasm.
Just adding backstory shifted how everyone looked at him.
From a lunatic in freakish garb who was strong and capable, to a warrior rising above pain to resist the world and protect his identity.
'As expected, a character's completion comes from its story.'
It wasn't just unique looks.
The hardships became trials, struggles became fights for life.
Personality emerged vividly, drawing empathy—
That was the birth of a 'hero's tale.'
"S-So... then?"
Jaonik swallowed hard, immersed.
He wasn't alone.
Amid their reactions, Harley calmly delivered the finale.
"Yes, dragon blood flowed in my veins. Thanks to Elinne's final chance, I awakened it and escaped the crisis."
As he finished, Harley extended one arm and flexed.
Dark red scales instantly covered his forearm, lending credence to his words.
"Dragonkin, for real... In an age where even dragons are rare."
"Must be a draconic ancestor from generations back. Probably due to the disrupted lineages from the Great War three centuries ago. That's why the latent blood power didn't manifest properly."
Mage Fabiella nodded seriously, filling in the blanks herself.
'Oh? Nice, adopted.'
As expected of a smart one—well-read, so she bought it based on her knowledge.
"Awakening dragon blood in crisis. Straight out of a hero's tale."
"No wonder he seemed extraordinary. Not your average human, eh?"
The party finally nodded, understanding his strength.
"Yeah... If that's what happened, no helping it. And if that was her end, Elinne must've been glad... Sniff."
Jaonik teared up, recalling his valiantly sacrificed pickaxe.
Watching them, Harley realized one thing.
'Do I... have a talent for this?'
Influencing others with a fabricated tale.
A gift for novelist or playwright—but abused, it could deceive and manipulate.
And we call such people 'con artists.'
'Nothing to do with me, of course. Sigh, guys like that even hurt innocent folks like me.'
Unlike scammers fooling for personal gain, he toiled day and night for world peace.
Being lumped with them was infuriating.
As the conversation wrapped...
"...We're here. Over that ridge, the Steel Fortress comes into view."
After countless ordeals, the party finally left the mountains for human lands.
But...
"Ah—."
"Mm, we figured."
The towering, sturdy fortress—ever unyielding, earning its 'Steel' moniker—was now a horrific ruin, shattered everywhere and blanketed in blood and corpses, greeting them.
Now in a lull, humans bustled about cleaning the battlefield in spots.
"...Before the monsters hit again, let's hurry."
At Robin's words—the party leader—they moved with heavy steps toward the Steel Fortress.
The war wasn't over yet.