Chapter 417
Chapter 417
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 417
Chapter Title: Galatric, Sword's Graveyard
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Sword's Gorge, Galatric.
A place now called the "Sword's Graveyard" far more often than its sacred title of Sword's Holy Land. For the past several decades, no human had set foot here, and humanity hadn't even dreamed of approaching it.
Not only was retaking Galatric out of the question—pushing the front lines in its direction was considered utter madness.
There was a reason for that.
The most terrifying calamity, death made manifest, resided in this place dubbed the Sword's Graveyard.
Death's Blade, Ganikalt.
Ever since the day the Sword's Gorge crumbled and humanity suffered a massive retreat, that existence had always held Galatric.
Approaching Galatric, where the most fearsome calamity lurked, was seen as suicide. Humanity had designated the entire Sword's Graveyard area a forbidden zone just to avoid provoking this inevitable disaster known as death.
'But that's all in the past.'
Kalt swallowed dryly.
The Blade of Death was no longer here. His senior had declared with certainty that the dreaded calamity had taken up residence deep in the Demon Realm instead.
"Ganikalt isn't there."
"The Blade of Death is waiting for challengers at the farthest edge of the Demon Realm."
His senior, who never jumped to conclusions lightly, had stated it so definitively—there had to be a reason. Which meant Ganikalt wouldn't appear here.
It shouldn't.
"That."
Then what the hell was that?
"Why is that..."
A slope formed from piled debris.
Kalt, peering down from its crest, pointed to the gorge's heart. The temple, the trial ground for sword practitioners that Kuntel had described. Now in ruins, a single sword was plunged into its center.
A massive greatsword.
Its blade riddled with holes.
That was the symbol of calamity. The Blade of Death, Ganikalt's signature weapon, was stabbed there. No way he could forget it. As Kalt shuddered, Rak furrowed his brow.
"...No sludge is flowing from the sword."
"What?"
"That greatsword."
Rak pointed to the greatsword embedded in the temple's center.
"Normally, sludge pours from those holes, right? Like starlight flowing from my sword..."
Rak clenched the air.
What emerged was a greatsword identical in form to the one in the temple's heart. Platinum starlight streamed from the holes in its blade.
"You're right..."
Kalt nodded slowly.
Just one sword lay there. No aura of death anywhere. After a brief glance exchange, Kalt and Rak descended the slope.
Whoosh.
Sliding down effortlessly, they steadied themselves and advanced toward the sword. Even closing the distance yielded no change from the embedded blade.
'Close enough to touch.'
Yet neither Rak nor Kalt reached out. Their instincts screamed warning. They subconsciously knew not to touch that sword.
Whoosh.
Kalt picked up a pebble from the ground and hurled it at the sword. The moment it touched the embedded greatsword...
Crack.
It crumbled to dust.
Squinting, he saw a chilling sword aura cloaking the greatsword. A razor-sharp energy that pulverized anything approaching.
"This is insane."
Kalt clicked his tongue.
Infusing sword aura into a sword you weren't even holding? Impossible. And there couldn't be two beings capable of such nonsense.
"No sludge, but it sure looks like the Blade of Death? No idea why it's here, but..."
"...We can't touch it."
Kalt nodded.
Rak was right. He swung lightly at the sword, but it rang out with a clang! and repelled him. Maybe hammering at the right angle could work, but...
'...No point provoking it.'
His gut told him not to touch it.
Wary of the sword plunged into the ground, Kalt signaled Rak toward the temple ruins.
"Search for the holy grail as fast as we can. Feels like we shouldn't linger here."
Retrieve the grail and get out.
Kalt wasn't deluding himself about the mission.
"Understood."
Rak nodded and beckoned Natida. As he and Natida, who'd descended the slope, rummaged through the debris, Kalt steadied his breathing.
"Hoo..."
Composing himself.
He dragged his raised blade low.
Shing, a low sword cry rang out.
His senses sharpened to their utmost.
Facing the greatsword once wielded by calamity itself, Kalt felt an inexplicable dread. No signs justified it. His superhuman senses showed a calm future.
Yet the dread persisted.
This wasn't superhuman intuition. It was the gut of a veteran soldier from countless battlefields. And it was blaring alarms. Something was about to happen.
Kalt didn't blindly trust his instincts.
But he didn't dismiss them lightly either.
Sword aura rose from his low-dragged blade.
A peerlessly sharp aura. Tic, tick—rocks touching the tip split as Kalt narrowed his eyes. His razor senses absorbed everything: sights, air tremors, wind's direction. All he could perceive.
That's why.
He could react.
To the eagle-like beast's shriek echoing from the sky, skreeeeek. The thing circling the Sword's Graveyard skies in steady orbits had changed course.
Whoosh, Kalt's head snapped skyward.
His gaze locked on the flying beast. The moment he spotted its swelling body, his super-senses screamed. Data for future prediction flooded in. In an instant, he saw seconds ahead.
No hesitation.
Kalt swung.
Perfect form, perfect breath, perfect strike.
His launched sword aura rocketed skyward as the flying beast's maw tore open. From its gaping throat burst an arm larger than the beast itself.
Screech, skree-gik.
The massive arm from the beast's throat bent, grabbing its lower jaw. The beast swelled further as another arm emerged from its throat.
One hand on the lower jaw.
The other on the upper.
The arms snapped wide, ripping the maw apart. Snap, crack—muscles and flesh tore, splitting the body. Blood and chunks sprayed everywhere.
Bursting from the shredded maw was a massive beast. Or perhaps a man.
Thud.
Crashing to the ground, it seized the greatsword on its back. The moment it gripped the sword, it was no longer a beast. Glowing ice-blue eyes marked the apex predator.
The Beast King, Barta, had revealed himself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Beast King gripped his sword.
Born a mindless creature, the swordsman who ascended to transcendence seized his blade. The instant Barta grasped it, he was no mere beast. A superhuman who reached transcendence with a single sword, a noble swordsman.
Unsteady fall or not, sword aura rushing at his face or not.
Barta's stance held firm.
A true sword superhuman must unleash perfect strikes in any situation. His eyes flashed ice-blue. His six fingers gripping the hilt creaked.
Whoosh!
The scabbard on his back shattered with a crunch. Bursting free was the massive greatsword, its blade riddled with holes like a moth-eaten robe.
Shing.
Barta swung the gripped greatsword.
A perfect arc slicing the air's flow. It devoured Kalt's launched aura, slamming the ground with a massive boom.
Kuuuung!
Earth and dust erupted.
Rocks caught in the strike flew skyward. As they rained back down with patter, another boom! echoed.
Something landing on the ground.
As the dust cleared, the Beast King appeared. Ice-blue eyes. A body two or three times a man's size. In his grip, the massive greatsword.
"......"
The Beast King, Barta, stared at the human.
His maw split wide as he exhaled deeply. A steamy hiss passed, followed by human speech.
"Human."
The beast spoke in human tongue.
"I ask."
Bending his legs and bowing his waist to meet Kalt's eyes, Barta extended his hand. A long finger pointed to the single sword embedded in the gorge's heart.
Death's Blade, Ganikalt's sword.
"Can you draw that sword?"
2.
"Can you draw that sword?"
The Beast King's question.
Kalt narrowed his eyes.
Different from their prior clash with the apostate. The aura was entirely changed. From those coldly sunken ice-blue eyes, Kalt sensed chill.
Gripping his sword tighter, Kalt spoke.
He needed to buy time for now.
"Why do you ask?"
"I wait. For that sword's master."
Barta replied.
"For that day's rematch, I yearn."
Rematch.
"Thus, I seek. One who can draw that sword and summon its master here."
Dismissing the words, Kalt eyed behind the Beast King. Natida and Rak held their breath there. He glanced at the artifact in Natida's hand.
The artifact Natida had primed when the dust rose. It quivered faintly, fully prepared.
Teleportation gate generator, Gate.
Natida nodded and tossed it to the ground. As the keeeen! of opening space turned the Beast King's head, Kalt kicked off toward him.
Not just Kalt.
Rak beside Natida drew his holy sword and charged too. To buy even a moment.
That instant.
Wind blew. Rotten stench-laden wind, the smell of death, stung his nose. Bloodshot eyes—Kalt knew this foul gale.
The wind heralded by Death's Blade, Ganikalt.
But Death's Blade wasn't here.
The Beast King had summoned it, not death. Charging at him, Kalt saw the ice-blue flash in the king's eyes.
For a split second, he lost track of Barta's movement.
Shing.
A quiet slicing sound echoed.
The sword arc slashed neither Rak nor Kalt. The one beyond them. Horror filled Kalt's face. Rak, seeing it, turned.
"Ah."
A diagonal line etched across Natida and the gate. Crimson blood sprayed skyward.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Beast King Barta was a learning entity.
Collecting vast data through beast eyes, learning from it like a human. Cardi had warned about this being multiple times.
"Be careful. It's an uncontrollable variable."
"Variable, variable..."
Raniel sighed.
Map spread before her, she tracked Barta's position relentlessly. An unshakable unease gnawed at her. As she stared holes through it.
Flicker, Barta's marker twitched.
Flickering twice, it vanished with a pop. Raniel's brow furrowed. Barta's signal gone, then reappearing...
Near Sword's Gorge, Galatric.
Raniel's eyes widened.
Her dreaded premonition hit true. No time to ponder how. Action now.
Thud.
She donned her robe and snapped on gloves. The artifact on the table shuddered. Kalt had activated the magic tool.
Gate in seconds.
Prepping to leap through, Raniel steadied her breath and activated all circuits. The moment she crossed...
Crack.
The gate tore open before her.
As Raniel gritted her teeth to step in, something flashed beyond. Then a fierce glare and onrushing force.
"......!"
Kwaaaaang!
A massive shockwave surged.
The roar shredded the tent. Items inside scattered. Desk splinters rolled as Raniel shielded her face with both arms, staggering back.
Dust settled, revealing shattered artifact where the gate had been.
The gate was destroyed.
Forcibly sealed by overwhelming power.