Chapter 145: The Great Inheritance (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145: The Great Inheritance (2)
The ancient, evil god Karui, unlike the other three gods in this world, demanded his subordinates pay an immeasurable price. He did not give graciously and instead only made desperate wishes come true without any distinction between good and evil. The payment offered just had to be enough. No more, no less—just right.
"I'll allow it."
The moment he finally heard the answer he had been waiting for, a beast's arm tore through space itself to rip off Ludwig's arm. When he came to his senses, he was standing in a place he had only been looking at before. This was undoubtedly the power of a devil, especially since there was always a price to pay.
"My... win!"
Right at the moment he had made up his mind, the desperate battle was coming to an end. Ludwig urgently reached out his hand, and that was enough.
"I will take it."
He didn't even have to explain to the evil god what it was he wanted in return.
"Old man! What are you doing?!" The body of the Dragon Slayer, who had thrust his sword at the barbarian warrior, bounced back as it was met with fierce resistance.
Rip!
Both Ludwig's ears were torn off, a permanent sacrifice to the evil god that could not be healed with any divine power or potion. A pain seared through him that couldn't even be compared to being lit on fire. However, Ludwig only thought of one thing.
Yes, those people are fighting through pain like this as well.
"Old man! Heal me!" the Dragon Slayer commanded, his eyes emitting a black light.
Against his will, Ludwig's body moved as if possessed. Even more so than the threat to his grandson, whose soul Vagos had in his possession, this was because of one of Vagos's supernatural powers, Subordination. As long as that cursed ability was binding him, Ludwig could not resist his commands.
"I will count to ten."
The moment the huge beast's claws tore off his remaining arm, his body stopped advancing against his will. But it still wasn't enough. There were still many things he wished for, and he had much left to offer. Legs, eyes, heart, lungs—anything would do. He would give every part of his wretched body, which was nearing its end, if it could help the young heroes on their way. He would even give up the hope of ending his exhausting life and resting in her arms.
"Give me the strength to kill that man."
Ludwig spoke, and the evil god answered, "Impossible."
It wasn't a refusal. It was just that no matter how much he valued willful sacrifice, the payment Ludwig was offering wasn't enough. However, Ludwig brushed off any lingering disappointment. This was different from the resignation he had been feeling every day for years. Wasn't it just a second ago that he gave up on hoping for the impossible and decided to do everything he could?
The amount of freedom that the evil god had granted him was just ten seconds. There was no time to wallow in despair. "Then let me protect them."
Ludwig spoke again, and the evil god laughed. "I'll allow it."
The beast's arms reached out from the darkness, tore his body apart, and swallowed him.
***
The relief from escaping a near-death situation was momentary. Questions cropped up. How did the priest of Karui get here from four hours away, and why would he do anything to harm the Dragon Slayer? Could this all be part of another plan?
"Old man! What are you doing?!" From the look on the Dragon Slayer's face, it didn't seem like that was the case. To put it simply, this was also a surprise to him. However, it was difficult to see this as a positive. "Old man! Heal me!"
A black light began to glow from Vagos's eyes as the priest stumbled backward, even dropping his sword. It was obvious what it was: Subordination, the ability of the rank-three essence that Vagos possessed. This was an OP skill that allowed the user to absorb the souls of the dead to increase their stats, and, although there were some use conditions, allowed them to enslave a target if used on the living.
Step.
Soon, the priest stepped forward as if possessed. But right when everything seemed to be over, his remaining arm was ripped off as he apparently offered a sacrifice to an evil god hidden in the darkness.
Step.
The priest stopped walking. "Terrifying" wasn't a strong enough word to describe how he looked. It looked like his two ears and arms had been bitten off by beasts. However, despite the state he was in, the priest spoke. "Give me the strength to kill that man."
Only then did I truly understand the situation, who this unknown priest was speaking to, and what kind of deal was being made. If all my predictions were correct, there was a way for us to get out of this alive.
"Impossible." The priest received a refusal in response to his request. The voice echoed through the passageway as if addressing everyone here. There were mixed reactions to this—while our hearts sank, a brief light appeared in the Dragon Slayer's eyes.
And at that moment—"Then let me protect them"—the priest's request continued without the slightest hint of hesitation.
I heard laughter from somewhere. "I'll allow it."
The priest fell to the floor. This made sense, considering the two legs that had been supporting his body had been torn off. However, the evil god was a contradictory being that offered both hope and despair in turns.
Whooom!
So, in return, a portal made of black light formed in the center of the passageway. The color of the glow was different, but it was still a portal, the highest level of magic—and one that could open a door to the city from the labyrinth.
Whizz!
Soon, the mana-dense dimensional gate began to show what lay beyond it. It was not the familiar gray city of Rafdonia, but a dark and gloomy underground fortress.
"Old man! What are you doing!? Stop right now—!" As if an invisible gust of wind was dragging him, the body of the Dragon Slayer was slowly pulled back toward the portal. "Don't you care what happens to your grandson!?"
The Dragon Slayer shouted in anger, but the priest just stubbornly replied, "This is something that should have been done long ago."
"Fuuuck!" Perhaps Vagos had also accepted that there was no way to stop the priest's plan, because he roared at me and then shifted his eyes to look at something. He stretched out his hand.
Slide.
The arc longsword, which had been left without an owner, scratched the ground as it began to move toward him as if magnetized. It was very clear what he was trying to do. Wherever he was going, he planned to take this with him.
Goddamn sword fetish bastard.
I forced my staggering legs to move and threw myself forward, not toward the remorseless piece of Dragon Slayer shit, but toward the sword being pulled to him.
"Old man! What are you doing?!" From the look on the Dragon Slayer's face, it didn't seem like that was the case. To put it simply, this was also a surprise to him. However, it was difficult to see this as a positive. "Old man! Heal me!"
A black light began to glow from Vagos's eyes as the priest stumbled backward, even dropping his sword. It was obvious what it was: Subordination, the ability of the rank-three essence that Vagos possessed. This was an OP skill that allowed the user to absorb the souls of the dead to increase their stats, and, although there were some use conditions, allowed them to enslave a target if used on the living.
Step.
Soon, the priest stepped forward as if possessed. But right when everything seemed to be over, his remaining arm was ripped off as he apparently offered a sacrifice to an evil god hidden in the darkness.
Step.
The priest stopped walking. "Terrifying" wasn't a strong enough word to describe how he looked. It looked like his two ears and arms had been bitten off by beasts. However, despite the state he was in, the priest spoke. "Give me the strength to kill that man."
Only then did I truly understand the situation, who this unknown priest was speaking to, and what kind of deal was being made. If all my predictions were correct, there was a way for us to get out of this alive.
"Impossible." The priest received a refusal in response to his request. The voice echoed through the passageway as if addressing everyone here. There were mixed reactions to this—while our hearts sank, a brief light appeared in the Dragon Slayer's eyes.
And at that moment—"Then let me protect them"—the priest's request continued without the slightest hint of hesitation.
I heard laughter from somewhere. "I'll allow it."
The priest fell to the floor. This made sense, considering the two legs that had been supporting his body had been torn off. However, the evil god was a contradictory being that offered both hope and despair in turns.
Whooom!
So, in return, a portal made of black light formed in the center of the passageway. The color of the glow was different, but it was still a portal, the highest level of magic—and one that could open a door to the city from the labyrinth.
Whizz!
Soon, the mana-dense dimensional gate began to show what lay beyond it. It was not the familiar gray city of Rafdonia, but a dark and gloomy underground fortress.
"Old man! What are you doing!? Stop right now—!" As if an invisible gust of wind was dragging him, the body of the Dragon Slayer was slowly pulled back toward the portal. "Don't you care what happens to your grandson!?"
The Dragon Slayer shouted in anger, but the priest just stubbornly replied, "This is something that should have been done long ago."
"Fuuuck!" Perhaps Vagos had also accepted that there was no way to stop the priest's plan, because he roared at me and then shifted his eyes to look at something. He stretched out his hand.
Slide.
The arc longsword, which had been left without an owner, scratched the ground as it began to move toward him as if magnetized. It was very clear what he was trying to do. Wherever he was going, he planned to take this with him.
Goddamn sword fetish bastard.
I forced my staggering legs to move and threw myself forward, not toward the remorseless piece of Dragon Slayer shit, but toward the sword being pulled to him.
Thud.
I was left dazed from the impact of my tattered body hitting the ground, but I reached out and grabbed the sword anyway.
Pzzzzzz!
The sword emitted heat as soon as I touched it, as if it had the imprint of its owner. Thanks to Pain Resistance, the pain was bearable, but I could clearly feel numbness taking over my hand. I got the sense that holding this for just a few more minutes could render my arm useless forever.
...Did this guy continue to use this sword despite that?
Any unnecessary questions that crossed my mind were immediately erased. I didn't need to think about any of that right now.
"You!"
I had to endure this, even if I had to put my weight on the ground and drive my teeth into the floor so that the blade that he would one day point at me wouldn't be this one ever again. So that it couldn't harm my teammates.
Kak kak kak!
In an instant, the pull became stronger. My body began to slip as I lost traction. At this speed, there was a good chance I'd be sucked into the portal along with the sword.
Damn it, should I let go now?
Just as the thought was popping into my head—
C-Cough!
The bastard coughed up blood and the feeling of resistance disappeared.
Yeah, this would be too much for you too.
A moment later, he called to me. "Barbarian... You'll see me again," he bit out. It was a line that a dirty villain would say, something even Missha would be embarrassed to hear. He didn't even say what he was going to do after that.
Thump!
My heart pounded at the warning. The skewer stabbed in his shoulder, his half-crushed jawbone, the murderous energy that made my skin tingle, and his right hand, which had gone from red to black and smoking, all told me that if that day came, I wouldn't be as lucky as I was today. This was clearer than hundreds of curses. But what about it?
Grip.
The fact that he was a member of Orcules, a ninth-floor adventurer with the nickname of Dragon Slayer? The fact that there wouldn't be a Guardian of Balance next time? I already knew all that. Yeah, I couldn't defeat this man right now. And if he had another trick up his sleeve, I would have to struggle desperately just like today.
Shaaa!
But I would survive because that was what I did best. Because that was what I'd been doing my whole life. Because it was something I had to keep doing in the future. I would survive and become stronger so that someday, when I no longer needed a fluke to beat him, I'd go find him.
"We will meet again, dragon man."
You're not the only one who lost something today.
Shaaa!
The portal's greedy maw swallowed his body and despawned. At the same time, a warm light began to permeate my body. Not just mine, but everyone else's too.
Divine power?
I stared at my hand blankly. Slowly but steadily, the wound was healing. And unlike when using a potion, there was no pain, only warmth.
Slide.
Only then did I come to my senses and look behind me. I saw the body of the priest, which had been torn to shreds. Could it even be called a body now? It had no arms or legs. Dark red blood flowed from its dug-out eye sockets, and his nose was cut off, making him look like a corpse on the battlefield. In addition, the things that should have been in his abdomen, which had a vertical slice running through it, were gone.
"Why...?" I muttered involuntarily. What on earth had this old man offered so much for, and to utter strangers like us?
Then I heard a faint sound coming from the priest. "Letter... pocket..."
I was in disbelief, but I quickly approached him and searched his robe. A letter appeared, crumpled and worn at the corners.
"Reat..."
"Don't worry. Rest. I will make sure to deliver this letter to Reatlas Church."
"Thank..." The priest closed his eyes. His body was covered in blood, but his wrinkled face was clean and at ease. As I stared at it, I felt like I was in a dream. How had he managed to talk in this state?
I couldn't stand it and decided to ask, because I wouldn't have another chance. "Why did you save us?"
Because it was the right thing to do? Well, if he had such sentiments, he would have had a shot at being freed long ago. Why today? It couldn't simply have been a coincidence, and I was very curious about the reasoning behind it.
There was no answer. Could it be that he was already dead? As I began to stand, the priest's lips parted slightly. "Wi... zar..."
The sentence was never completed, but it was enough. "I see. Thank you for telling me." I got up without any regrets. There were many things I wanted to ask, but I got the sense that the old man was already gone.
I paused and took in the distinct, oppressive silence. Enjoying the afterglow of this quiet, I inwardly whispered, We survived.
Hikurod, Missha, and Rotmiller had survived.
But I can't say I kept my promise like this.
I smiled bitterly as I looked down the passageway at my teammate's corpse.
"Can you... win?"
"Don't worry. We will definitely return home alive."
I had said that confidently, but he was the one who had actually saved us in the end. The thing that had made it possible for all of us to get out of here alive was something that couldn't be described as luck—it was closer to a miracle from a god.
"Wi... zar..."
Riol Warb Dwalkie was just a wizard who had fought to the bitter end. And this was the inheritance he had left us.
Thud.
I was left dazed from the impact of my tattered body hitting the ground, but I reached out and grabbed the sword anyway.
Pzzzzzz!
The sword emitted heat as soon as I touched it, as if it had the imprint of its owner. Thanks to Pain Resistance, the pain was bearable, but I could clearly feel numbness taking over my hand. I got the sense that holding this for just a few more minutes could render my arm useless forever.
...Did this guy continue to use this sword despite that?
Any unnecessary questions that crossed my mind were immediately erased. I didn't need to think about any of that right now.
"You!"
I had to endure this, even if I had to put my weight on the ground and drive my teeth into the floor so that the blade that he would one day point at me wouldn't be this one ever again. So that it couldn't harm my teammates.
Kak kak kak!
In an instant, the pull became stronger. My body began to slip as I lost traction. At this speed, there was a good chance I'd be sucked into the portal along with the sword.
Damn it, should I let go now?
Just as the thought was popping into my head—
C-Cough!
The bastard coughed up blood and the feeling of resistance disappeared.
Yeah, this would be too much for you too.
A moment later, he called to me. "Barbarian... You'll see me again," he bit out. It was a line that a dirty villain would say, something even Missha would be embarrassed to hear. He didn't even say what he was going to do after that.
Thump!
My heart pounded at the warning. The skewer stabbed in his shoulder, his half-crushed jawbone, the murderous energy that made my skin tingle, and his right hand, which had gone from red to black and smoking, all told me that if that day came, I wouldn't be as lucky as I was today. This was clearer than hundreds of curses. But what about it?
Grip.
The fact that he was a member of Orcules, a ninth-floor adventurer with the nickname of Dragon Slayer? The fact that there wouldn't be a Guardian of Balance next time? I already knew all that. Yeah, I couldn't defeat this man right now. And if he had another trick up his sleeve, I would have to struggle desperately just like today.
Shaaa!
But I would survive because that was what I did best. Because that was what I'd been doing my whole life. Because it was something I had to keep doing in the future. I would survive and become stronger so that someday, when I no longer needed a fluke to beat him, I'd go find him.
"We will meet again, dragon man."
You're not the only one who lost something today.
Shaaa!
The portal's greedy maw swallowed his body and despawned. At the same time, a warm light began to permeate my body. Not just mine, but everyone else's too.
Divine power?
I stared at my hand blankly. Slowly but steadily, the wound was healing. And unlike when using a potion, there was no pain, only warmth.
Slide.
Only then did I come to my senses and look behind me. I saw the body of the priest, which had been torn to shreds. Could it even be called a body now? It had no arms or legs. Dark red blood flowed from its dug-out eye sockets, and his nose was cut off, making him look like a corpse on the battlefield. In addition, the things that should have been in his abdomen, which had a vertical slice running through it, were gone.
"Why...?" I muttered involuntarily. What on earth had this old man offered so much for, and to utter strangers like us?
Then I heard a faint sound coming from the priest. "Letter... pocket..."
I was in disbelief, but I quickly approached him and searched his robe. A letter appeared, crumpled and worn at the corners.
"Reat..."
"Don't worry. Rest. I will make sure to deliver this letter to Reatlas Church."
"Thank..." The priest closed his eyes. His body was covered in blood, but his wrinkled face was clean and at ease. As I stared at it, I felt like I was in a dream. How had he managed to talk in this state?
I couldn't stand it and decided to ask, because I wouldn't have another chance. "Why did you save us?"
Because it was the right thing to do? Well, if he had such sentiments, he would have had a shot at being freed long ago. Why today? It couldn't simply have been a coincidence, and I was very curious about the reasoning behind it.
There was no answer. Could it be that he was already dead? As I began to stand, the priest's lips parted slightly. "Wi... zar..."
The sentence was never completed, but it was enough. "I see. Thank you for telling me." I got up without any regrets. There were many things I wanted to ask, but I got the sense that the old man was already gone.
I paused and took in the distinct, oppressive silence. Enjoying the afterglow of this quiet, I inwardly whispered, We survived.
Hikurod, Missha, and Rotmiller had survived.
But I can't say I kept my promise like this.
I smiled bitterly as I looked down the passageway at my teammate's corpse.
"Can you... win?"
"Don't worry. We will definitely return home alive."
I had said that confidently, but he was the one who had actually saved us in the end. The thing that had made it possible for all of us to get out of here alive was something that couldn't be described as luck—it was closer to a miracle from a god.
"Wi... zar..."
Riol Warb Dwalkie was just a wizard who had fought to the bitter end. And this was the inheritance he had left us.