Chapter 231
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: What the Hell Is That Sword? (2)
“Ugh.”
The man who regained consciousness slowly opened his eyes.
He clutched his forehead against the intense dizziness, rolling only his eyes to survey his surroundings.
Bare branches, stripped of leaves, filled the night sky in his view.
From beside him came the crackling sound of burning firewood.
“Awake?”
At that moment, a young man's voice fully snapped him back to awareness.
The man, Kenji, struggled to prop himself up on his upper body.
His entire body felt numb and sore, like the morning after getting beaten without rest.
With an utterly exhausted expression, he spotted a well-burning campfire and two men sitting around it.
One was a handsome man with striking emerald hair, the other a man wearing a mask with only a mouth hole.
The emerald-haired man asked him,
“Feeling any better?”
“Who... are you?”
“Just adventurers.”
“Did you save me?”
“As you can see.”
The masked man said nothing, so only the emerald-haired one replied.
Not caring much either way, Kenji bowed his head toward them in thanks.
“Thank you. I owe you my life.”
“How'd you end up falling into this treacherous ravine? You were one step from becoming a water ghost.”
“......Just a mishap.”
He couldn't speak of what happened before losing consciousness, so Kenji hurriedly changed the subject.
“What brings you two to such a remote place?”
“Told you. Adventurers. We roam treacherous lands like they're our backyard.”
The emerald-haired man, Jamie, grinned and tossed out a lame joke.
Jin stared blankly at Jamie before turning his gaze back to the campfire.
Then he asked, eyeing the sword connected to the man's right hand,
“What is that sword? Looks fused to your right arm.”
“Yeah, I was wondering that too. What the hell is it?”
“Ah, this...”
Kenji glanced troubled at the sword attached to his right arm, then smiled awkwardly as he explained.
“It's a prosthetic replacement. Lost my arm on a mercenary job, so I fitted a sword in its place. Makes me look tougher, lets me charge higher rates.”
“See? Told you it's a prosthetic.”
“Ingenious design. Seemed linked by mechanical devices. Who thinks to attach something like that to their arm... Takes guts.”
“C-cost a fortune. Anyway, where are we?”
Jamie played along with Kenji's flustered attempt to shift topics.
“Befos Mountain.”
“Midway up, looks like. How far to the summit?”
“What, planning a night hike? In that condition?”
Though Jamie had healed him, he wasn't fit to move just yet.
He probably knew it himself.
Night hiking, especially with that thing on his arm, was impossible.
Befos Mountain was notorious as the steepest in the Yerko Range.
Even healthy folks were advised against descending at night; an injured man slipping could mean death.
This area teemed with monsters, too.
The higher you went, the fiercer they got.
“Haha... No, just curious.”
“Well, a fit person might make it in three or four hours...”
“Right.”
Jin, who'd crossed Befos many times, nodded.
A true mountaineer.
Maybe he hadn't faked his identity just for climbing.
Jamie entertained the trivial thought before speaking.
“Anyway, rest up tonight. Tomorrow, climb or not—your call.”
“Truly grateful. How can I repay this debt...”
“You look broke. What repayment? If fate crosses paths again, buy us a meal.”
“I will. May I have your names?”
Jamie and Jin exchanged glances.
Hard to give real names while sneaking over the border at night.
Jamie didn't mind.
Not in northern Olbia, but as Welton heir and mage council elder, his identity was ironclad.
Jin was the issue.
A Sword Master from the secretive Frontier group.
'Jin' was common enough, but not for casual reveal.
“Call us Jay and En. And you?”
“Ken...ji.”
“Ken it is, then?”
“Do as you... Gah!”
Kenji suddenly clutched his right arm, face twisting in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing. Need to take a leak.”
As Jamie approached, Kenji bolted into the bushes.
Anyone could see it wasn't urgent.
Hiding something in that state looked highly suspicious.
As his presence faded, Jin spoke.
“He's hiding a lot.”
“Didn't even notice his gut was pierced.”
As Jamie said, they'd found him with a blade wound through his abdomen.
Impossible to miss, no matter the depth.
Normal folk would check it first upon waking.
Kenji hadn't.
“Could've been stabbed unconscious.”
“How'd he lose consciousness?”
“That right arm. No ordinary weapon.”
“Attaching it to his arm was already weird, but now it's clear. Demon Sword.”
Demon Sword.
Swords came in many types.
Standard ones, artifact magic swords like Skurd with enchantments, holy swords blessed by gods.
And demon swords, born from evil rites, stealing lives.
Demon swords varied but all grew by devouring 'life.'
Some even possessed their owners.
The worst possessed types caused catastrophes, destroyed on sight per continental law.
“And the blood stench thickened.”
Unnoticed wet, it reeked once dry.
No way from just one or two kills.
“Serial killer?”
“Might not know he's killing, eroded by the sword.”
“Rare case.”
“True.”
Demon sword confirmed, they couldn't ignore it.
“Ask when he returns. He won't escape. If he tries...”
Jamie's eyes chilled.
“Guh!”
Kenji couldn't breathe from the pain.
The sword tried seizing control again.
Exploiting his weakened state.
Gorged on blood, its power surged.
He bit his lower lip hard to endure. Blood trickled, but the sting kept him sharp; he bit harder.
“Hah!”
Only then did the sword relent.
“Cough, cough!”
Kenji collapsed, coughing, then glared resentfully at the sword.
Blood Bringer.
'The one who brings blood'—fitting its nature.
A century ago, the sword demon's infamous weapon in these lands.
He'd found it by chance.
Kenji was a famed one-armed swordsman mercenary.
Many jobs, some high-pay high-risk.
That day, a dangerous one.
'Shouldn't have taken it.'
He'd gone where few treaded, like here.
Monster-infested.
Task: fetch rare herbs unique there. Hard to find, deadly risk.
He'd done plenty, no worry.
Handled monster packs, fled real threats.
Not famous for nothing.
Found it amid the search.
'No, it called me.'
Drawn inexplicably, he saw a half-rotted skeleton.
A large, worn sword lay where its right arm should be.
Crude greatsword, but instinct screamed power.
He lacked a right arm.
Grabbing it, tendrils from the base rooted through his arm into his body.
Agony, then blackout.
Awakened to monster corpses piled high.
Awe turned to dread at the horrific power.
It possessed owners.
No detaching it; roots too deep.
It craved blood ceaselessly.
When thirst peaked, it overpowered him.
Thus, Kenji became the 'murder ghost.'
Unwanted.
He tried weakening it, avoiding settlements—futile.
Awakened to corpses at his feet.
Recently, slew the lord's son with this hand.
“Damn... damn it! Damn!”
Death would've been easy, but no.
-Dean!
-Dean, look! Ellie and I made this!
-Pretty bird, right? We did good!
-When we grow up, we'll buy you a house as big as this!
-How?
-Why not? We can!
Children's voices echoed.
Kenji ran a small orphanage.
Risky jobs for them.
Who'd care for them if he died?
'At least till they're independent... then I die.'
Selfish devil? Fine.
As long as his selfishness fed them, anything.
“Must escape first.”
Weakened now, flee far.
Lord's army hunting.
Facing them meant more blood.
Beyond human, but minimize kills.
'Go.'
Sorry for no reward to saviors, but necessary.
They could become victims too.
No more innocents.
“He can't have gone far! Search everywhere!”
Pursuit captain Hilde ordered troops while hunting the horrific killer himself.
“That damned bastard.”
Licon knight, chasing murderer Kenji.
Kenji killed Licon Count's only son.
Slaughtered innocents mercilessly—a demon.
Today alone, several squad members dead or maimed.
“Should've finished him then...”
Squad pinned him; Hilde pierced his gut.
Expert high-rank feat, yet the monster survived.
Should've died many times over.
“Won't miss next time.”
Gripping sword in dark mountain night, something caught his eye.
“...A cave that big?”
Huge, fit multiple giant monsters.
Untouched area; unknown till now.
Who'd cross this deadly range with safe roads?
Not unless undocumented immigrants.
“Might be hiding here.”
Perfect spot.
Even alive, needed rest for gut wound.
Kenji surely here.
Thus, Hilde gripped sword, advanced.
Via multi-comm orb: “All converge on me, set camp. Killer's here.”
Acknowledged, he stood at cave mouth.
Ceiling dizzyingly high.
Overwhelming just looking.
Aura faintly roused, he entered.
Till he saw it.
“...Huh?”
Two lights gleamed from dark depths.
Aligned, approaching him steadily.
Thud- Thud-
Ground quaked.
Hilde paled, then ghostly white.
Legs buckled; he fell on his butt.
Head tilted up, nearly to ceiling.
That massive, majestic.
Human mind couldn't grasp it.
From shadows, a massive something emerged into moonlight.
Slit vertical pupils, blazing red scales.
It gazed down at Hilde.
Hilde muttered in despair,
“This place... a dragon's lair.”
Lived here decades, unaware.
But not his or locals' fault.
Merely manipulated undetectably.
Manipulation ended unluckily today.
Splat-
Hilde's body exploded.
Dragon Word.
Innate power of earth's strongest race, magic's sovereigns—great dragons.
Erased Hilde from existence.
Red Dragon Kairos declared,
Deep asleep, he'd ignore human bugs.
They wouldn't find it anyway.
Perception distortion magic pre-sleep.
But awoke today after eons.
Awake, no need for magic.
Disaster for them.
Then Kairos's vast senses caught two auras.
Two auras, too strong for bugs.
One especially—not insect-level.
Red dragons: ferocious, battle-loving.
Always seeking fights.
Kairos smirked,
His body shimmered, shrinking.
Long red hair, matching scales, settled calmly.
White-robed red-eyed beauty smiled.
“This hunt should be fun.”
His form vanished.