Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Chapter 78
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Zenith's Sword (1)
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“Are you really okay?”
“A bit nauseous, but I’m fine.”
Jamie nodded with a reassuring smile.
Beryl let out a short sigh.
“I’m glad.”
He seemed genuinely shocked, beads of sweat soaking his forehead.
Even when he’d carved up Rueta, he hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat. Why was he so startled now?
‘Because he’s the son of the woman he once loved?’
He didn’t know the details, but being on the receiving end of such worry wasn’t half bad.
“What happened to Gremia?”
It was Teberon.
Sitting atop a bed of felled trees, he regarded Jamie with a somewhat grave expression.
As Gremia’s administrator, he had wielded authority right up to the moment of its collapse.
Yet suddenly, at one point, that authority had vanished.
It felt less like it had been stripped away and more like it had returned to its rightful owner.
“As that one said, I sense a special power within you. If my senses aren’t deceiving me, something happened inside that light, didn’t it?”
Beryl looked curious as well.
Jamie rose to his feet. He was still a touch dizzy, but his body brimmed with more vitality than ever before.
Thanks to the Orb of Life, packed to overflowing with life force.
And what had made all that possible was—
“I received Gremia from Armion.”
Instead of explaining, Jamie raised his hand.
Several gleaming points floated above his palm, connecting into lines that began forming a certain shape.
Gradually expanding, it grew into a massive ship.
“Impossible……”
Teberon muttered in astonishment.
“Is this Gremia? I had my suspicions, but……”
Even without knowing its true nature, Teberon had lived as Gremia’s administrator for 600 years.
He knew it wasn’t merely an architectural artifact, but now that he beheld its reality, he had to admit his imagination had been too narrow.
“Hah! This is…… greater even than Gram.”
Beryl offered his frank impression as well.
An artifact that freely altered its size and shape while perfectly replicating the traits of any object—it was something he’d never even heard of.
Teberon watched Gremia shift in real time before turning to Jamie.
“Uncle Armion gave it to you?”
He was a mage who had vanished 600 years prior.
No one knew what became of him after, but no matter how exceptional the mage, a human surviving 600 years was impossible.
Unless they became an undead lich.
The Armion Teberon knew was no defier of nature’s order. He would never have become a lich.
Jamie dispelled Teberon’s doubts.
“He left his lingering will within Gremia’s final security system. When Gram escaped, he transferred full authority over Gremia to me.”
“Why give it to you?”
“Who knows.”
He couldn’t reveal the reason, but Teberon didn’t pry.
He himself had wondered, upon first laying eyes on Jamie, if he might be the one Armion awaited.
Still, he felt a twinge of annoyance toward Armion, now gone from the world.
“Tch. He said he’d entrust Gremia to me, but why keep something this crucial from me?”
Jamie chuckled at Teberon’s grumbling and approached him.
“What is it, human brat?”
“Stay still.”
Jamie placed his hand on Teberon’s front paw, the one injured by Rueta.
He channeled life force from the orb into it.
The deeply slashed wounds began mending as if by miracle.
“Healing?”
Beryl’s eyes widened.
‘Healing’ was the priests’ privilege—a restorative power drawn from divine strength.
Similar to recovery magic, but its effects were leagues apart.
Especially high-ranking priests’ healing could restore a body on the brink of paralysis to full function, so long as death hadn’t claimed it.
‘No, slightly different?’
It resembled healing yet felt like recovery magic too—a blend of both.
Teberon sensed the pain vanish like a lie and let out a hollow chuckle.
“You can do this too?”
“Blame it on Gremia.”
Teberon shook his now pristine paw.
“Feels even better than before.”
“Tuned it to peak condition.”
“……Thanks.”
“What’s with the out-of-character courtesy?”
Jamie shrugged it off and turned away.
Beryl glanced at Teberon, then back to Jamie.
“Let’s head back now. Sears will be waiting.”
“Yeah.”
Everything here was done.
Jamie gazed at the sun rising far off.
It had been night when they first entered the forest, but now that it was all over, morning had come.
What an exhausting dawn.
But the gains matched the toil—a fair trade.
Jamie took a satisfied step, only to jerk his head up at the alarm tolling in his mind.
“Riki!!”
Riki’s soul was bound to Jamie.
Pyro had prevented full enslavement, but sensing it was simple enough.
And right now, the goddess’s apostle faced dire peril.
“Riki’s in danger! Riki’s in danger!”
“What’s wrong?”
Beryl frowned at Jamie’s abrupt outburst.
Jamie urgently faced him.
“The goddess’s apostle is in danger! He might die!”
“The goddess’s apostle…… you mean that friend of yours who showed up recently?”
“Yes! This isn’t the time! We have to get to him now……!”
Beryl stopped listening and scooped Jamie into his arms.
Normally, Jamie would have recoiled, but now wasn’t the moment.
“Know the location?”
“Southeast. Southeast of Abton!”
Holding Jamie, he burst from the forest in a flash.
Left alone, Teberon stared blankly after them before rising.
“Off without a proper farewell.”
Then he turned and thudded away.
“Humans can handle human matters among themselves now.”
He wanted no more involvement in human affairs.
He’d done all he could.
“Time to go home.”
He wasn’t sure if any who remembered him still lived.
Teberon leisurely lumbered his colossal form toward the Ariazad Great Forest.
And one figure was forgotten by all.
“Mm……”
[Awake?]
At Phillion’s voice, Vena opened her eyes.
Her pink hair restored, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and scanned her surroundings.
“……Where’s this?”
[Don’t know.]
“Where’s Master?”
[Don’t know.]
“……How do we get home?”
[Don’t know.]
She rose blankly.
“Did I get lost?!”
Her voice boomed through the vast forest.
Clang!
Two blades of pure white flashed as they collided.
Airak of the Pyro Church’s holy executors clicked his tongue and retreated a couple steps. His foe did likewise.
‘Evenly matched in skill.’
He glanced at the other holy executor, Filos.
Second in rank among them, Filos relentlessly hounded his opponent.
Filos, who heard he bordered on sword master as often as he ate, pressed with restrained swordplay and minimal motion.
“You’re no easy mark.”
“Block my path, and be prepared to die.”
Filos raised his sword to chest height, leveled it, and charged.
The robe billowed fiercely against the wind, halting the rush.
Crimson sparks and holy particles tangled and sprayed.
“We know who you are. Why are Zenith’s swords barring our way?”
The robed figure who’d clashed with Filos withdrew afar and flicked his blade clean.
“Reason’s plain, isn’t it? To hold you up.”
“Then why? Relations between us are sour, sure, but Abton’s being ransacked by the [Demons]. Demon-worshipping scum!”
“Save your breath.”
The robed man smiled thinly.
Filos sighed curtly. Their goal eluded him. Flipped robes suggested concealment, yet they wielded Zenith’s divinity freely.
Just screwing with them for kicks?
“Even I have limits.”
Filos’s presence shifted.
Second rank among holy executors came no cheap.
The robed man felt horrifying killing intent coil around him. Chills ran deep, but his lips curved.
“Going all out now?”
“No regrets.”
Kwaaaaa!!
Pyro’s divinity erupted like an explosion.
He’d heard the man’s output ranked top handful in Pyro Church.
This much divinity…… sword skill aside, it rivaled their own leader.
“Truly chilling—”
But he couldn’t finish.
“Hey!”
His comrade battling Airak called. He knew why.
“Mission’s a bust. Annoying—let’s bolt.”
“Who’s bolting on whose say-so!”
Airak, livid, loosed sword qi.
“So damn annoying!”
The foe countered with his own.
Divinities entwined, clashing blades sparking midway.
The robed man ignored the side skirmish. Face twisted, one thought gripped him.
‘That bitch Kanna! What the hell happened?!’
The demon they’d sought to revive was dead.
Kanna too.
Reason unknown, but their contract bond screamed it.
To abandon such delectable prey before them!
“Not letting you escape!”
Divine glow spilled from Filos’s eyes.
As he lunged, it trailed long like a comet’s tail.
“Hey!!”
He clicked at his comrade’s call.
“We’ll withdraw for today.”
Filos thrust his sword straight down at the robed man’s head.
Kwang!!
The ground cratered harmlessly, dust surging.
Gnashing teeth, he withdrew his blade.
“Damnable bastards. What are they?”
Airak spat at the vanished foes and sheathed his sword.
Filos mounted up.
“No time for this. Depart now.”
“What in the world’s……”
“Clear is their plan’s derailed. Situation’s still grave.”
“Ras’ll be okay, right?”
“Have to trust. He’s holy executor too. Hya!”
Airak clicked, picturing Ras.
“Tch. Better not die.”
What was this unease?
Airak spurred his horse’s flank too.
Abton awaited, every second counting.
They whipped their mounts toward Abton.
“Keuk!”
Ras, smashed into the rock wall, vomited blood and slumped.
“Hyung!”
Riki cried desperately.
Ras propped on his sword, eyed the foe ahead.
Pre-arrival fury had soured to shock.
Yet amid shock, ire forbade collapse.
Ras ground his teeth, questioning the foe.
“W-Why you……”
Kwarung—!!
Sky flashed, thunder crashed.
Sable braved sharp rain, watching sword blood drip.
Ras mustered strength, demanding again.
“Why wield Zenith’s divinity!”
“Foolish query.”
“……What?”
“As Zenith God’s sword, why not wield Zenith God’s divinity?”
“That’s not what I…… Keuk!”
Overexcitement roiled his guts, blood surging back.
‘Insanely strong.’
Ras had crossed paths before.
As Bell Marquis’s aide, visiting the order.
Skilled then, but no match, he’d thought.
Power concealed till now.
‘But the divinity how……?’
Laughable self-query.
Power-masking artifacts? Findable if sought.
“Planned for years……?”
“Never dreamed the goddess’s apostle would offer himself.”
Sable eyed Riki, devoid of emotion.
“O-Oppa……”
Anna shuddered, clutching Riki’s hand.
Even blind, his vast killing intent inescapable.
Riki clasped back, glaring at Sable.
Sable faintly smiled at the gaze.
“As expected of goddess’s apostle. Unawakened, yet unfazed by this intimidation.”
“No cause for fear.”
“Why?”
“I trust Ras hyung to guard me. He’ll dispatch Zenith’s filthy cur like you in a flash!”
Sable’s eyes narrowed.
He bypassed Ras for Riki.
“Didn’t hear our apostle?!”
Back turned, Ras struck instantly.
Sable laughed.
Puhak!
Long gash rent Ras, blood fountaining.
“……How?”
Sable hadn’t swung.
Hadn’t turned.
Yet slashed Ras.
“Ras executor can’t protect you.”
Sable raised his sword.
“Absolutely.”
Then swung down.
“Ridiculous……”
Judgment Sword interposed.
“!!”
Blood vessels burst in Ras’s eyes as he roared, slashing.
Futile.
“Blocking me is pointless.”
“Keurk!”
Multiple blood sprays from Ras’s body.
“Nothing blocks anyway.”
Sable eyed falling Ras, sword to Riki anew.
“No one protects you.”
Only despair remained standing.
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