Immortal Slayer (1)
"Ah, ahhhhh...!"
Camilo's screams began to echo throughout the exhibition hall.
"...T-this makes no sense. This is absolutely impossible."
Twelve hours.
Surviving the trial prepared by "that person" for such a grueling length of time was supposed to be utterly impossible.
Over the past several centuries, countless powerhouses and transcendent beings had challenged this trial.
Yet, without exception, they had all failed to overcome the obstacle and fallen to their knees.
"H-how did this happen...! You promised me this would never happen...!"
That person had guaranteed it.
They told him not to worry. They assured him that there was no being in this world capable of shattering his immortality.
They said this trial was designed to scale in cruelty the stronger the challenger was.
Therefore, anyone who entered was destined to meet a miserable end.
"Then why...!"
Whoosh!
Despite Camilo's desperate screams, the Life Vessel unleashed an even brighter radiance.
The nature of that light was gradually shifting.
The Life Vessel, once stained with a dark, reddish aura, was slowly being dyed in a brilliant, translucent gold.
The demonic energy was fading.
It was clear proof that the challenger had successfully passed the trial.
"No! N-o... #?????$??????@??????%????...!"
As the power sustaining his immortality waned, Camilo's voice began to dissolve into static.
Crack!
A sound like shattering glass rang out as fractures spiderwebbed across the Life Vessel.
Shatter!
The shards burst outward, fluttering through the air like glittering dust.
And then...
"..."
Where the vessel had once stood, a single man now remained.
"Sir... Sir Gaon," Adelia called out, her voice trembling.
Sikan Bauer could only stare at him in stunned silence.
His physical condition...
Just what kind of ordeal had he endured during those twelve hours?
Gaon's pale skin was caked in dust and grime. His dark blue hair was matted with a mixture of sweat and dried blood.
Dark bruises peeked through the tears in his shredded clothes, and fresh, crimson blood dripped steadily from his wounds.
"..."
Yet, despite his battered state, his golden eyes remained incredibly sharp.
A raspy, metallic voice slipped through his slightly parted lips.
"It seems it took half a day instead of an hour."
"..."
"Thank you for waiting."
Those simple words sent a shiver down Sikan Bauer's spine.
Gaon's body had clearly reached its absolute limit; it wouldn't have been surprising if he collapsed right then and there. Yet, he showed not a single trace of weakness.
Even covered in wounds, he maintained his noble, unyielding composure.
"..."
Staring at the scene in frozen silence, Sikan found himself muttering inwardly.
How can a man be like that...?
Silence hung heavy in the exhibition hall.
Only the overwhelming presence of this single man filled the space.
No aura could be felt radiating from him, but that no longer mattered.
He was the man who had turned the impossible into reality. He had achieved what Midtemple had failed to do for hundreds of years.
He had overcome it all, not just with overwhelming martial might, but with noble will and conviction.
"Sir Gaon is more noble and sublime than anyone. Having watched him by his side, I know this to be true."
...Ah.
Sikan Bauer felt a sudden stir in his chest.
He realized that his heart and mind had truly begun to respect Gaon.
It was the moment he finally understood the blind faith and loyalty Adelia had shown all this time.
There is no doubt.
Only then did Sikan admit the truth he had been denying until the very end.
Even though the Council had not officially approved it, there was no longer any need for doubt or verification. What more proof could possibly be required?
Gaon.
He was truly worthy of being called a seeker of the sword.
"...?"
A figure clad in a black robe suddenly halted in his tracks while walking across the wasteland.
He wore a skull helmet, armor adorned with bones, and a black robe embroidered with blood-red patterns.
Heukgol, the Black Bone Sword Master, let out a series of incredulous chuckles before plumping himself down on the ground.
"Is that really true?" he asked, looking up at the night sky with a skeptical voice.
"...Camilo's immortality has been destroyed?"
Camilo von Taribas.
He was one of Midtemple's Five Nightmares, the worst Lich who had plagued the continent for centuries.
Yet, a high-tier undead who had lived for eons just like him had met his end.
He could hardly believe such an abrupt demise.
"Ha..." Heukgol muttered, his voice devoid of energy. "...I really wanted to kill him with my own hands. What on earth happened?"
Destroying immortality.
This was an achievement that not even the twelve Sword Masters, let alone Midtemple, had ever accomplished.
And for good reason. To kill an immortal, one had to go through an incredibly complex and difficult process.
But the most troublesome step of all was...
...passing the trial designed by the evil god himself.
Heukgol had also challenged Camilo's trial hundreds of years ago.
But in the end, he had failed.
A trial designed solely to kill the challenger was impossible to pass by any normal means.
It was a truly horrific trial.
He had tasted death for the first time since becoming a Death Knight.
How long had it taken him to fully restore his body after the aftermath of that failure?
Since that day, Heukgol had never challenged the evil god's trials again. He had no intention of doing so until he was perfectly prepared.
And yet...
Someone had broken through that trial and destroyed Camilo's immortality. He couldn't comprehend it.
Who on earth could have passed a trial filled with such viscous malice?
...I'm genuinely curious.
It was at that moment of curiosity.
Suddenly, the world fell silent.
Heukgol, who had been sitting quietly, slowly nodded his head. It was as if he were receiving an important whisper from someone.
"Aha."
Before long, the corners of Heukgol's mouth twitched upward.
"So that's how it is. Understood."
The Black Bone Sword Master stood up with a sly grin.
Pulling his hood over his head, he resumed his trek across the barren wasteland, heading off to answer the summons from Midtemple.
"Haha! Well, he's a fellow I'm bound to run into soon anyway!"
"I will heal you. Please remain still."
A soft hum vibrated through the air as a green light emanated from Sikan Bauer's hands.
As the warm energy touched my body, my minor wounds began to close one by one. Before long, all of my external injuries were healed.
True to his title as a Paladin of Midtemple, Sikan's healing abilities were exceptionally potent.
"It is done," Sikan Bauer said as he finished the treatment.
"I have patched up your external wounds, but I cannot do anything about your internal injuries. You should rest for the time being..."
"This is enough. You did well."
"...Wait, hold on!"
I brushed off Sikan Bauer's protests and stood up.
My head throbbed from extreme fatigue, but what could I do? There was still a mountain of work left.
I could rest all I wanted once I returned to the free city of Vertas.
Whoosh!
I began cleaning up the aftermath with Adelia.
We went around lighting holy fire throughout the Corpse Exhibition, performing the rites of requiem.
Since so many lives had been sacrificed to satisfy Camilo's twisted tastes, the task took quite a long time.
"This is..."
Adelia froze in shock when we stepped out of the workshop and reached the end of the special gallery.
Before us stood a massive sculpture made of dozens of corpses grotesquely woven together.
And the shape of that sculpture was strikingly similar to the piece I had constructed in the courtyard.
"It is the masterpiece Camilo took the most pride in," I explained briefly. It was an artwork of Camilo's that I had encountered multiple times while playing the game.
"It is also the original model of the sculpture I imitated in the courtyard."
"...Ah."
Recreating Camilo's signature piece, even crudely, was the most surefire way to gain entry into the exhibition hall.
It served as proof that one understood his artistic vision.
Of course, I didn't sympathize with his artistic views in the slightest. I had merely mimicked it for utility.
In that sense...
"Finish the requiem."
"Yes, Master."
...such a horrific sculpture deserved to be erased from this world.
Whoosh!
The moment my command fell, Adelia resumed the requiem.
Before long, flames marking the end of the gruesome gallery began to engulf the entire building.
I walked outside with Adelia and Sikan Bauer, quietly watching the building burn to the ground.
Hee-haw!
After some time had passed, the braying of a donkey echoed from afar.
Rattle, clatter!
The old carriage that would safely transport us back to the free city of Vertas slowly came into view.
Inside the rattling carriage, Adelia and Sikan Bauer sat opposite me, nodding off to sleep.
I wanted to close my eyes for a bit too, but I held back. There was something I had to do right now.
"Whew..."
I let out a deep sigh and looked at the notification window filling a corner of my vision.
It was time to check the rewards obtained from the Corpse Exhibition.
You have cleared the trial prepared by '■@■#!?■%'.
You have destroyed the immortality of Camilo von Taribas.
An unprecedented achievement that no one has ever accomplished! The forgotten Arbiters support your path!
Reward: Acquired the Authority Skill [Immortal Slayer].
...I finally got it.
Immortal Slayer.
It was the sole means to deal with the "immortals" whose very existence drastically accelerated the apocalypse.
At the same time, it was a power that would prepare me for the "crazy Sword Master" I had kept in mind.
Lost in thought, I opened my skill window.
Name: Immortal Slayer
Grade: ??
Type: Passive Skill, Authority Skill
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
[Description]
You have restored order to this world by severing the breath of one who transcended death. The Arbiters, slumbering amidst the whispers of the stars, support your path and have granted you a unique Authority.
You are now entitled to pass judgment on the lawless desires of those who seek to bypass death. All life cowering in the shadow of immortality shall helplessly fall to their knees before you.
[Effects]
• All attacks nullify the target's immortality.
• Nullifies all forms of immortality and regeneration possessed by the target.
A smirk played on my lips.
The skill description was exactly the same as what I had seen in the game.
Now that I had obtained this unique Authority, I could worry a little less about any disruptions to my plans.
And...
I untied the bundle in my lap, revealing another reward.
It was a golden chalice tinged with a dark, ominous light.
The eerie patterns covering the entire cup writhed as if they were alive.
...The Corrupted Holy Grail.
The vessel that had stored Camilo's immortality.
At the same time, it was a magical chalice that doubled the effects of consumable items.
This was the primary reason I had sought out the Corpse Exhibition in the first place.
With this, the preparations are complete.
The moment to drastically boost my stats had finally arrived.
"Ver... tas..."
Barba, the Human Butcher, muttered as he trudged forward.
Below the high hill, fortress walls stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The bustling, lively scenery of the free city of Vertas filled his vision.