Chapter 67
Chapter 67.
"What, what are you...? Ghosts shouldn't interfere...."
When the Divine Maiden ghost approached, the Spirit of the Heavenly Sword slightly averted its gaze.
[As a Divine Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, I cannot tolerate your insolence.]
However, the Divine Maiden's intimidating presence remained fierce.
'The Divine Maiden had this side to her too.'
The Divine Maiden had generally shown a kind attitude in front of Lee Ganghan. But when the opponent was a spirit rather than the Heavenly Demon, her attitude was completely different by 180 degrees.
Sometimes she seemed a bit clumsy, but seeing how she treated the spirit, she gave off the feeling of being second-in-command of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
"The Heavenly Demon himself... didn't say anything when called a successor... Is the Divine Maiden above the Heavenly Demon? Why are you stepping forward...?"
[The Heavenly Demon has been lenient with you, but a lowly being shouldn't dare commit such rudeness. Where do you get off violating the hierarchy like this!]
"Ah, I don't know... A chief disciple is a chief disciple. I won't listen..."
[You little...!]
The Divine Maiden raised her voice with a roar. Swoosh. Suddenly, she lifted both hands to her hair.
'Huh? What's this?'
Was she about to show her face? Why in this atmosphere? Lee Ganghan became curious when the Divine Maiden, who had always kept her face covered, tried to move her hair away and glanced to see this, but...
"Hiiiiiiiek...!"
Even before that, the Spirit of the Heavenly Sword let out a high-pitched scream. Then, whoosh!
It entered the sword and from inside...
[What, what is that face... scary... I've never seen anything so horrifying...]
It expressed its terror of the Divine Maiden with a frightened voice from within.
[Why don't you come out this instant!]
[Chief Disciple... I won't come out when that ghost is here...]
Still, the Spirit of the Heavenly Sword, not giving up the title 'Chief Disciple', declared from inside the sword that it would stay there.
The spirit, which had always been leisurely to the point of seeming lazy, was acting like this, making Lee Ganghan even more curious about the Divine Maiden's face, but...
[Such an ill-mannered creature... You must have a hard time, Lord Heavenly Demon.]
The Divine Maiden turned around, completely covering her face with her hair as before, in her ghostly form.
"Can't you show me your face too?"
[I'm sorry. It's too disgraceful and hideous to dare show to Lord Heavenly Demon.]
"Is that so? That's too bad."
Since she firmly expressed her refusal, he decided to postpone his curiosity about her face for later.
'Right, first I need to find Columbus.'
Columbus, who had stopped firing cannons and fled after seeing the One Sword Breaks Heaven.
Unlike last time, he had maintained his foothold, but in the end, he still had to wander this vast ocean searching for Columbus's ship, the Santa Maria. However...
'This time, unlike then, I have the feather.'
The feather that the angel had given him, saying it would be absolutely necessary. This vast ocean would be the perfect timing to use this item. For a quick clear, it would be right to use it immediately, but...
'Still, let me explore a bit before using it.'
I don't know when I'll meet an angel again. An S+ grade one-time-use item. If I can save it, wouldn't it be better to save it? When Lee Ganghan decided to run on the water surface for a bit first...
[Lord Heavenly Demon, although the ghost attached to the sword is rude... the sword itself possesses a strong evil-banishing aura. This is the first time I've seen a sword containing such intense light.]
The Divine Maiden ghost was expressing admiration while looking at the sword Lee Ganghan held.
"The Divine Maiden isn't affected?"
[I'm a guide arranged by the tower. I'm not some mere specter. No matter how strong the sword's aura, I won't be affected by it.]
Unlike her appearance, the Divine Maiden remained unaffected even when the angel's sword flashed with light. She pointed toward the sea.
[The aura contained in the sword is so strong that even the wraiths in the distant sea are being destroyed. It will be easier to use lightness skills than last time.]
Like in the cemetery map, the undead were completely swept away just by the sword flashing with light.
The wraiths of the sea were also a type of undead, so even while standing on the rock holding the sword, they were being destroyed by the light's influence.
"The angel's sword... was it this powerful? The grade is only A+."
When Lee Ganghan looked at the sword with curiosity, the voice of the Spirit of the Heavenly Sword came from the blade.
[This is only A+... That's ridiculous... Angel? If it's an angel, isn't it ultimately a minion of a god?]
"Minion? It's still a messenger of heaven."
[That's the same thing...]
[Where do you get off contradicting Lord Heavenly Demon's words!]
When the Divine Maiden, who had been listening, gave a warning...
[Huh? I'm inside the sword... what are you going to do about it, you ugly monster ghost...]
Perhaps trying to get revenge for what happened earlier, the Spirit of the Heavenly Sword made direct appearance-based insults. However...
[Lord Heavenly Demon, I'll be back shortly.]
Swoosh.
When the Divine Maiden ghost entered the sword...
[Hiiiiiiiiiek!]
An earsplitting scream echoed from within. Then soon...
[I've given it appropriate education.]
The Divine Maiden ghost emerged from the sword.
[I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...]
Following that, the voice of the dazed spirit apologizing could be heard.
"Don't be too harsh. It's actually a spirit that learns swordsmanship and helps a lot."
[Still...]
"More importantly, about the sword you were talking about earlier..."
[I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...]
He wanted to hear more about the angel's sword, but whatever education the Divine Maiden had given, the Spirit of the Heavenly Sword could only say 'I'm sorry.'
"What kind of education did you give to break the kid?"
[I only gave a moderate warning, but it seems like a spirit that hasn't suffered much. Should I re-educate it?]
[Hiiiiiiiek! Sorry, sorry, sorry!]
The spirit had convulsions when the Divine Maiden tried to enter again. Lee Ganghan smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"Never mind. Let's go find the ship."
[Yes. Ah, I have something to tell you about that.]
The Divine Maiden pointed in one direction.
[The wraiths around us disappeared due to the sword's light, but I can still feel the dense aura of wraiths in this direction.]
Then she turned to the opposite side and pointed at that sea.
[Conversely, in this direction behind us, the wraith aura feels thinner compared to other directions.]
"So the first direction is where there are many wraiths, and the opposite direction is where there are few?"
[Yes. That's correct. Between the two directions with many wraiths and few wraiths, wouldn't it be better to choose where to go?]
Instead of just blindly searching the vast ocean, she suggested using wraiths as an indicator for movement.
'Not bad.'
Then I'd have to consider which direction Columbus would be in. Thinking about how the sea wraiths were in the form of Native Americans, they probably wouldn't have a friendly relationship with Columbus, right?
'If I think about it that way, the ship would be where there are fewer wraiths.'
But would the one who summoned this 'Sea of Darkness' map be hiding somewhere without ghosts because he's afraid of wraiths? Rather, wouldn't he be setting up formations where there are many wraiths to prevent challengers from coming?
'Both seem like possibilities.'
Each direction was a choice with its own reasons. So where should I go? Lee Ganghan looked at both directions once and...
'Let's go where there are many.'
He chose the direction the Divine Maiden ghost had pointed to first. If the direction seems wrong while going, I can just fly in the opposite direction using the feather.
Swoosh!
When Lee Ganghan leaped quickly and deployed Water Walking more skillfully than before...
[Lord Heavenly Demon, your Water Walking has become much better!]
The Divine Maiden ghost followed behind Lee Ganghan, praising his improved lightness skills.
Perhaps because the Heavenly Demon Constitution had risen to C grade, Lee Ganghan could leap over the sea without using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. As he took a few steps forward...
[The dead dwell in the Sea of Darkness...]
A message appeared, and whitish smoke rose from the sea, but flash! When the Flame Angel's sword rippled with pure white light...
[Grrrrrr...!]
[Light, light...]
Like mist clearing before intense sunlight, the wraiths' forms and the whitish smoke all disappeared.
'The difficulty dropped drastically.'
Last time, except for when the Divine Maiden ghost helped once, there was no answer when dealing with wraiths.
But just because I brought one angel's sword, it can become this easy? As Lee Ganghan was satisfied with the sword once again and continued forward...
[Your level has increased by 1.]
A level-up message appeared before his eyes.
***
'Level up?'
Lee Ganghan looked at his level, which had changed to 44, and opened his eyes wide. My level is rising in the first tower too?
'At this rate... I'll quickly reach the Bronze limit of level 50.'
While running on the sea with just a flashing sword, his level had already increased by 1. If I go further, couldn't I raise my level by another 1 or 2? As Lee Ganghan expected...
[Uwahhhhh...]
[Like this... we're going...]
The further he went, the more wraiths' wails could be heard from all directions as they were touched by the light...
[Your level has increased by 1.]
Another level-up message appeared.
"This sword... isn't it too overpowered?"
Lee Ganghan laughed dryly while looking at the sword that swept away wraiths.
[You're right... This sword isn't something that a mere minion of a god should give... At least a constellation-level god would have to bestow it for this kind of power to emerge...]
The Spirit of the Heavenly Sword, which had been broken by the Divine Maiden's education earlier, seemed to have regained its composure and quietly spoke about the sword's value.
"Constellation-level? The angel I met was a constellation."
[An angel... was a constellation...? That's impossible... Only gods with a clear presence among deities can become constellations...]
"Really?"
Then 'Angel Kael' that I met under FIPA wasn't an ordinary angel after all.
'I should investigate angels when I get back too.'
Lee Ganghan thought this and continued forward. As countless wraiths disappeared...
[This won't do anymore...!]
Suddenly, from the front, the cry of wraiths with mixed voices of men, women, young and old could be heard, and swish, swish, swish... the wraiths gathered from here and there, transforming into a large form that rose above the sea in front of him.
An opponent even larger than when Heracles became a giant. The enemy showed the will not to disappear from the light coming from the sword. But...
[Not... a chance...?]
Flash, Flash! When the angel's sword emitted light, the giant wraith was being carved away in real time. When Lee Ganghan actually approached to fight with the sword in hand...
[Uhhhhhhh...]
The giant wraith had already been purified to the point of being reduced to fist-sized. Swoosh! And when he stabbed the remaining wraith with the sword...
[Ah... we should have caught it...]
With a voice full of resentment...
[One pillar of the 'Sea of Darkness' has collapsed.]
['Santa Maria Port' is revealed.]
[Your level increases by 1.]
Several system messages appeared simultaneously.
'Was it originally quite a strong opponent?'
If it's called a pillar of the Sea of Darkness, it must have been almost mid-boss level. Even such a wraith with intense resentment was carved away from the outside and instantly destroyed when the angel's sword flashed. As Lee Ganghan once again felt the sword's cheat-like nature...
Whoooosh...!
Suddenly, with the sound of water splitting, a giant wave surged and crashed toward Lee Ganghan.
'Something must have changed up ahead.'
Whoosh!
When Lee Ganghan leaped higher and passed through the wave, something different that he had never seen before appeared in the endless vast ocean.
'That... looks like a giant statue?'
Golden land floating on the sea. And on top of it, a majestic golden statue stood. A statue with four figures carrying a palanquin on their shoulders, each wearing a crown on their head. When Lee Ganghan first set foot on the golden land...
[You have arrived at Santa Maria Port.]
'This is supposed to be a port?'
The message appeared before his eyes. It didn't look like a port since there was no ship, and only these four statues were standing there.
'Hmm... is the ship on top of that palanquin?'
Swoosh.
When he raised his head to look up, he could see the base of the golden palanquin. It seemed like I'd have to check that out.
However, the base was quite high, too high to reach with the Heavenly Demon Reign Step. To check what was up there, I'd either have to use the feather to fly up, or I'd have to topple the golden statue serving as a pillar.
'It's too wasteful to use the feather now.'
It would be regrettable to use the feather just to fly up when I've almost reached the destination.
Then in the end, I had no choice but to cut down the statue.
Swoosh!
When Lee Ganghan lightly swung his sword, crackle... sparks flew, but the golden statue didn't even get a scratch.
'It's quite sturdy despite how it looks...'
This statue. To bring it down, I'd have to use all my strength. Lee Ganghan gripped his sword tightly.
"Heavenly Demon Divine Art."
He spoke the words of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.