Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Defeated God's Seed
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Crackle, crackle.
The first thing he heard was the tickling sound of burning firewood in his ears. Then came the rustle of turning pages.
As he slowly opened his eyes, a reddish ceiling lit by candlelight and the stove came into view, along with a girl flipping through a book beside him.
Black hair and ash-gray eyes.
It was Emily.
She was so absorbed in whatever book she was reading that she hadn't noticed Kallias waking up.
*What's got her so engrossed?*
*A Northern Swordsmanship Textbook?*
It wasn't the sort of book a twelve-year-old would pore over with such focus.
Since she was so deep into it, Kallias didn't want to disturb her. Instead, he quietly turned his attention inward to examine his body.
He circulated his holy power from his fingertips to his toes.
*All the wounds have healed.*
The injuries from the Orc Warlord had already mended.
The power of holy water truly was remarkable.
Even wounds that should have been fatal had healed perfectly.
A few scars might remain, but he'd survived without defect. What was there to complain about?
Just to be thorough, he checked more carefully. His condition was excellent.
Better than before.
「Kallias von Jerban」
「Occupation」 – Pilgrim
「Holy Power Grade」 – 3rd
「Holy Power」 – 6251/6251
「Talent」 – [Bard’s Blessing - Supreme]
「Traits」 – [Time Grace] [Noble’s Duty] [Count Family Wastrel] [Death-Time Insight] [Church’s Prodigal] [Big Eater] [Three-Color Eyes]
[Stats]
Strength – 81 (30)
Agility – 55 (30)
Technique – 16
Vitality – 50 (30)
Faith – 73
Several stats had increased.
Strength had risen from 76 to 81, Technique from 13 to 16.
Vitality had gone from 47 to 50.
He had no idea why.
Perhaps because he'd pushed his body to its limits while dancing on the edge of death.
Delving deeper, Kallias sensed an astonishing change.
*When did the Mystic Flower Triple Peak transform?*
Excluding the two buds settled in his dantian, there was now a third.
The third bud of the Mystic Flower Triple Peak was beginning to form.
*The influence of Death-Time Insight?*
Had the enlightenment he'd gained then affected it?
He pondered for a moment but couldn't figure it out.
Still, it was welcome news.
It wasn't complete yet, but condensed holy power was gathering into a coil.
The third bud rooted in his dantian was still in an incomplete stage.
It was right on the verge of that final step.
*The previous battle, the holy water, and the insight from Death-Time Insight must have advanced it.*
But Kallias's expression soon calmed.
The Mystic Flower Triple Peak was originally the Three Peaks.
The difficulty spiked once you formed all three buds.
The first two were manageable, but from the third onward, it was like grasping stars from the heavens—forming the bud became incredibly hard.
*Even if quest rewards give me multiple Spirit Stones, it might not be enough.*
Spirit Stones wouldn't cut it. You'd need something like a dragon's heart or blood, or a divine relic or saintly bone for a proper breakthrough.
The reason was that from the three peaks onward, it wasn't just about forming the buds—you had to create the sacred veins connecting them.
You needed to form a circuit of holy power flow that circulated all three buds.
Only then could you claim true Three Peaks.
Creating something that didn't exist in the dantian was on a whole different level of difficulty.
*I'll have to take it step by step. Maybe this reward will have something for it.*
The thought reminded him. Time to claim his rewards.
『Wheel of Patalite - Complete』
-Killed Orcs: 2782
-Killed Magical Beasts: 786
-Rescued People: 453
-Killed Great Warriors: 1
-Killed Orc Warlords: 1
[Reward Grade] [S+]
[You have completed the main quest.]
[Special rewards will be granted.]
The message window he'd seen before losing consciousness ended there.
He couldn't wait to see what came next.
[S+ Reward Box granted.]
[Opening S+ Reward Box.]
A small burst of fireworks accompanied a flurry of messages.
[Broken Sword of the Forgotten God]
[Subspace]
[Seed of the Defeated God]
[Chalice of the Defeated God]
[Unique Talent Cartridge]
[Rare Trait Draw]
[Spirit Stone x3]
[Humasis’s Saddle]
*S+ rewards come in bulk, huh.*
[Broken Sword of the Forgotten God]
Grade - Relic
-The broken sword of a forgotten god.
Even broken, this sword bearing a god’s power transforms into a blade deeply fated with its wielder.
*I didn’t expect this...*
Kallias’s lips curved into a smile. The Broken Sword of the Forgotten God.
Main quest rewards were always random, so he hadn’t gotten his hopes up even for S+.
But a relic?
*Of course, it’s useless right now.*
Still, it was an item he could put to great use someday just by holding onto it.
A relic that could summon any sword he'd touched.
No matter who owned it, if the relic’s possessor touched it once and forged a bond, he could summon that sword anytime.
The Jerban family heirloom.
Storm Sword-Callis could be summoned with this relic anytime.
The one-time limit per sword was a shame, but the fact that it worked on any grade made it hugely appealing.
*And it doesn’t have to be a sword...*
It would work.
Take the Explosive Spear, for example.
If he willed it, it would transform into a sword and appear in his hand.
*Or for quests that send you to the past or future.*
Swords obtained there couldn't be brought back to reality normally, no matter how powerful.
Swords usable only during quests became permanent possessions with this relic.
*Let’s check it. But as expected...*
No Storm Sword-Callis.
Predation Sword-Roas and Possession Sword-Gwyd were there.
Jornik was by the bedside, but no Storm Sword-Callis.
Elbeton must have taken it.
*Too bad.*
He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little greedy, but there was nothing for it.
Storm Sword-Callis was a phantom sword.
And it was the Jerban family heirloom.
A sword for the family head.
To claim Callis, he’d need to become the head of House Jerban. Not yet time.
*It’s still too much for me anyway. Can’t be helped.*
His holy power’s quantity and purity were too low to wield a phantom sword.
He barely managed Possession Sword-Gwyd, let alone a phantom sword.
He’d endured thanks to Patalite’s Spirit Stone.
He’d need at least 2nd-grade holy power to ease the burden.
*Until then, just think of it as in safekeeping.*
It wasn’t going anywhere.
With the northern war over, House Jerban wouldn’t face any major crises for a while.
No one would steal it.
Elbeton wasn’t the type.
*Next up, Subspace.*
[Subspace]
Grade - Epic
-Summons a space to store and retrieve items anytime, anywhere.
A common spatial item from games.
Linked to his consciousness, he could summon stored weapons just by thinking of them.
Spatial items were rare in this world, and ones useful in combat were practically nonexistent.
For Kallias, Subspace was an indispensable item.
He’d switch between his growing arsenal of swords and gear depending on the situation, and Subspace would make battles far more efficient.
Focusing his mind, the Subspace naturally bound to him, and the new rewards were already inside.
Kallias pictured the Broken Sword of the Forgotten God within his mental Subspace.
The sword’s hilt materialized near his hand.
Broken, but the aura within was profoundly mysterious.
Satisfied, he stored it back and examined the other items.
*But what’s this?*
[Seed of the Defeated God]
Grade - ???
-A seed left by a defeated god.
No one knows what will sprout from it.
[Chalice of the Defeated God]
Grade - ???
-A chalice left by a defeated god.
*I don’t remember setting this up. Did the devs add it?*
Seed and chalice of a defeated god?
What even was a “defeated god”?
Puzzled, he pulled out the seed and chalice for a look. Nothing special.
The seed was just an ordinary black seed.
The chalice was a faded silver cup.
As a chalice, he wondered if it had some special power.
*These things usually purify something or other.*
He touched the chalice, then the pea-sized seed.
"Huh."
In that instant, the seed sank into his palm.
It flowed through his sacred veins, racing through his body in a flash.
"What the—!"
Startled, Kallias desperately clenched all his sacred veins to stop it, but it was futile.
*It’s heading to the dantian.*
Heat surged through his body.
Then came pain like his dantian tearing apart.
Cold sweat beaded instantly, chills clacking his teeth.
*No...!*
Seed of the Defeated God.
He didn’t know what it was, but it had zero chance of harmonizing with Valterus.
If two holy powers settled in his dantian, it could shatter in the worst case.
"W-what?! Kallias! When did you wake up?! No, more importantly, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?!"
Panicked, Emily bombarded him with questions before rushing off to fetch a doctor.
Thud.
[The Defeated God. The god who lost its name has taken root in the dantian.]
*What?*
Immense holy power instantly swelled from his dantian.
Its purity was something he'd never felt before.
Amid shock and pain, Kallias marveled at the seed’s pristine holy power.
And that holy power from the seed...
"Grraaagh!!"
Instantly formed sacred veins in his dantian.
Uncomprehending, enduring agony, Kallias clutched his lower abdomen and doubled over on the bed.
But he forced himself upright, assuming a lotus position.
*One more is forming.*
One vein had already formed, and another—actually, four more were emerging simultaneously.
Like a plant rooting in his dantian.
Kallias’s Mystic Flower Triple Peak took full form, three peaks rooted in his dantian.
"Raaagh!!"
Boom!
Pristine holy power he couldn’t fully absorb exploded outward.
Sweat flushed toxins from his skin as silver light blazed brilliantly.
Jaybarshu Castle.
From his room, radiant holy power lit the dawn.
Soldiers and knights rushed in, flinging open the door.
"Lord Kallias!!"
"Are you alright?!"
There sat Kallias, his entire body glowing radiantly.
[Mystic Flower Triple Peak achieved.]
"What in the world... "
Kallias was just as baffled.