Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Divide - 1
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Trail continued.
“Neril. You shake the bell. We need to match the pattern exactly.”
Whoosh.
Trail, borrowing Adwin’s body, tossed the bell.
Neril hurriedly gathered her focus and said.
“Got it. Don’t worry. Adwin said it’d be tough unless it’s him, but I’m confident too.”
“That makes sense. There’s no one more suited for delicate work than you.”
“…….”
“Offense. Erase the presence of everyone here. No shadow magic. Maide needs to come back out later.”
Offense wiped cold sweat from his brow and said.
“I’ll do that. Most ancient hero.”
“…….”
“No time now, but I’ll greet you properly next time.”
Trail simply nodded.
Offense tapped his index finger.
With that, the presence of everyone in the area vanished.
Of course, it could be seen if one focused their mind.
But for someone of Trail’s caliber, the presence had faded to the point where even they had to concentrate to detect it.
He led Neril, Jenia, Risel, and the sleeping Maide to the back of the carriage and disappeared.
Before vanishing completely, Neril said.
“Thank you. And sorry.”
Trail just scratched his head and didn’t say much.
Seeing everyone gone, he turned his gaze to Bellosian.
“Not particularly grateful you waited. If you have any conscience, it’s only natural.”
“Hmm. One of Adin’s minions?”
“Go easy. This body doesn’t have that much power.”
“But the soul dwelling within is enormous.”
Bellosian’s eyes gleamed.
“When Adin made you, he put real effort into it. The Eye of Omniscience, the ability to manipulate time. Those aren’t things you pour into just any soul.”
“…….”
“You’re no ordinary vessel. Guess I’ll have to get serious too.”
“No, I’m asking you to go easy.”
“Let’s loosen up first.”
The next instant, Bellosian vanished.
Trail reflexively bent his knees.
Bellosian’s fist grazed over his head.
Trail counterattacked Bellosian’s abdomen once more.
But.
-Kaboom.
Crack.
It sounded like a sword striking armor, and Adwin’s wrist snapped.
‘What do I do. Sorry about this.’
But now wasn’t the time to focus on the broken wrist.
“Hahaha!”
“Urk.”
Thud. Ta-tat.
In the blink of an eye, over a hundred exchanges crossed.
Each time, Adwin’s body broke, tore, and bruised.
Trail judged this melee couldn’t last long.
If he pushed the body further, even if they won, Adwin would be bound for the afterlife.
‘It’s already a burden having my soul here.’
As he’d worried before, Adwin’s soul was on the verge of being crushed by Trail’s.
It was already half-unconscious.
Trail decided it was time to take a gamble.
“No. You’re too weak. You gonna bore me like this?”
Ta-tat.
Trail shifted from clashing to evasion.
Dodging Bellosian’s barrage of fists and kicks, he waited for an opening.
‘The underworld definitely has no concept of time.’
In the past, after killing Idria countless times, he’d gone to the underworld.
The underworld was desolate and lonely.
The heavenly god, Adin, had absolutely hidden his existence from the world.
That’s why Trail had no ties from his living days. No one to meet in his ‘own world.’
The one connection he’d had, Idria, might have been there... but she hid wherever she was and never showed.
Still, Trail counted days by the rising and setting of sun and moon.
After one day there, he’d resurrect to find 100 years passed in reality.
After 100 years there, only 20 days had passed in reality.
‘At first, I wondered what the standard was.’
Truth is, it varied.
The underworld simply had no time.
At least, no connection to real-world time.
‘Meaning I can stop time without issue!’
Then Bellosian flew at him again.
Perfect timing.
Trail picked up Maide’s sword.
Among the techniques he’d learned watching Maide, he found one fitting the moment.
This stance should do?
‘Sword throw! Ah, damn it.’
-Swoooosh!
The thrown sword flew at Bellosian.
Puk.
The blade buried completely into Bellosian’s body, which no weapon had pierced.
“Urk.”
Bellosian’s body flew far back.
About thirty paces away.
‘Now!’
Trail hadn’t expected to kill Bellosian with this.
He just needed distance.
At least ten paces.
[Used Eye of Omniscience.]
[Current Eye of Omniscience level is 4. Can view up to A-rank secrets.]
[Selection condition: ‘Secret between Arald Mohan and Dian Mohan.’]
[That secret is D-rank. View it?]
Time stopped.
He muttered with a sigh.
“Phew. Now just wait for Maide to return.”
“How does he return? You stopped time.”
Trail couldn’t say, ‘Maide can move in a stopped world.’
He was too busy closing his shocked mouth.
Sss.
Bellosian, sword still embedded, rose!
“H-How?”
“Oh right. Maide could move in this stopped world too. Ten paces was the limit, I think.”
Yes, Maide could move.
But barely.
Each step twisted muscles and shifted bones in agony, moving with effort.
Step step.
Yet Bellosian approached casually.
He’d already passed ten paces.
“You used your head. Or did I get too excited?”
“What the hell are you?”
“Looks like this ‘Eye of Omniscience’ is the max performance I’ll see from you tonight. No point expecting more. Let’s end it.”
Crunch. Swish.
He pulled the sword from his abdomen.
He’d already covered over twenty paces.
Trail reflexively tried to retreat.
But he didn’t move.
‘Ah. This body...’
The body he inhabited was Adwin’s.
No way it could move.
Release Eye of Omniscience?
But what would change?
Step step.
Then.
Twenty-five paces.
As he tried for twenty-six, Bellosian’s face twisted for the first time.
“Hm? What? Why’s this happening?”
“…….”
“No way it’s blocked after just this much movement.”
He was right.
Bellosian couldn’t move further.
Like a statue.
Only his head above the neck could twitch.
He whipped it around and said.
“This already surpasses Adin’s ‘Eye of Omniscience.’”
“…….”
“Not that I’ve weakened. You’ve gotten stronger.”
“What?”
“At least in time manipulation, you surpass Adin. Weird. Why?”
He muttered lowly.
“Come to think of it, Maide’s other party members were beyond human too.”
“…….”
“Could it be Maide? No, how could he make his comrades this strong. Wait. I’ve seen this before.”
“…….”
“Impellium.”
His expression twisted instantly.
The smug, leisurely smile vanished.
“Impellium strengthened his party members too.”
“Impellium had party members? He had comrades?”
“Can’t comprehend. Is Maide really Impellium...? No way.”
Trail could breathe easier for now.
Whatever happened, Bellosian couldn’t move past twenty-five paces.
Wait here for Maide.
He’d handle it somehow.
That guy inspires that kind of trust.
Then.
“This issue needs discussion with Adin.”
“……!”
“First, I’ll kill you.”
Crunch!
Something in his leg shattered.
But in exchange, he took the twenty-sixth step.
He stepped again.
Blood trickled from Bellosian’s mouth.
“Just three more steps or so.”
“…….”
“No, two left now.”
He lifted his leg again.
Right before the twenty-ninth step.
“Stop right there! You mad bastard.”
When I opened my eyes again.
My companions around me were frozen like ice.
My mind raced like lightning.
I understood everything.
‘Bellosian’s here.’
And they fought.
But he was losing.
No Adwin here meant he’d borrowed power from some legendary soul I’d never seen.
‘Trail.’
Who else but the eldest hero who killed Idria countless times?
Even Trail was pushed back.
So, as a last resort, Eye of Omniscience. To stop time.
“The problem is it’s tough for me to move too...”
I let out a small sigh.
Then.
“This issue needs discussion with Adin.”
“……!”
“First, I’ll kill you.”
A voice I’d never heard.
And because it was new, I could guess who paradoxically.
‘Bellosian!’
But how?
How could he speak in a stopped world?
“Just three more steps or so.”
“…….”
“No, two left now.”
Step.
I heard his footsteps.
Considering this carriage we hid in and the voice’s distance...
‘Damn. Way over ten paces!’
I forced myself toward him.
Instinct said Bellosian and Trail were inches apart.
Move.
Faster. Freer!
[Just move, right?]
‘Impellium?’
[Still don’t get it?]
‘What?’
[Why you keep getting stronger.]
I asked laboriously.
‘Isn’t it because you boosted my Blood Letters ability?’
[Blood Letters? Idiot.]
‘No, but actually... after seeing the dead’s Blood Letters, I got stronger?’
[I boosted Blood Letters so you’d uncover the world’s secrets faster.]
Impellium continued smoothly.
[You can turn the fame you’ve built into power. You’ve mastered that.]
‘……! No way. Fame’s just for becoming a hero.’
[That’s what Trail said. He wouldn’t know more.]
‘…….’
[You already know. You’re leagues stronger than pre-regression because you wield fame as power.]
His voice was hypnotic.
No evidence, yet it made me nod—yeah, sure.
[But you’re unconsciously holding back.]
‘Why would I?’
[Heh. Asking me? Guess... You don’t want to go ‘too far’? Want to stay at a level called human?]
‘…….’
[But when Idria or Adin threatened your comrades, you released the brake. And unluckily, your comrade Trail is in danger now. And Adwin whose body he’s borrowing.]
Fire sparked in my eyes.
[Release the brake. With your fame now, you might barely repel that weakened Bellosian.]
“Weakened... Heh.”
I steadied myself with a hollow laugh.
Turn fame into power.
How?
No. Impellium said I already was.
Just remove my own brake.
Did I put a restriction on myself? Was there?
‘Impellium said I don’t want to go too far.’
Want to stay human-level.
Why? Why did I want that?
A word flashed in my mind.
-Retirement.
Yeah.
I want to wrap everything up ASAP and enjoy retirement with my beloved lover and comrades.
Going too far might make that impossible.
Might trap me from retiring willingly.
Was I scared of that?
‘I’ll cast a spell.’
[Looking forward to it. Let’s hear.]
I took a deep breath.
And murmured lowly.
-I abandon retirement.
The next instant.
The stopped world squeezing my body lightened like a lie!
I drew my sword and leaped beyond the carriage.
“Stop right there! You mad bastard.”