Chapter 75
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Feels Like This Bad Blood Just Won't End
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Anyway, it seemed like Ibu had a solid grasp on my condition.
Ibu must have instinctively understood the suspicious power that woke me up, so he wasn't pushing himself too hard.
In that case, he wasn't a complete idiot.
Just a little dim, and a little smelly.
The stench of stupidity.
"...So, Boss. Pull through for Ibu's iron pants."
How the hell did you arrive at that conclusion?
Once he latches onto something, he shows insane levels of obsession.
'Jeez, live and learn... or die and live again...'
Getting pep talk from this lunatic somehow bruised my pride.
It was a situation where a small force was holding a narrow pass against a much greater power.
If I diverted the strength currently suppressing the Toolsep anywhere else right now, the balance would shatter, and I'd be done for.
Failing to control that power would lead to the same result.
Like trying to carefully fart because your stomach's upset, only to shit yourself instead. That kind of disastrous mess.
'Gotta stay perfectly still. Got some questions burning anyway.'
The heat haze rising from the Ogre King's body gathered into a single strand.
Finally, the bastard's life had ended, and the aura of power erupting from his entire body returned to its original state.
A brown orb floated up quietly.
The hippo, who had been gorging on flesh, lifted its head.
Grooooowl—.
It let out a long bellow upon spotting me.
'What, claiming dibs because it landed the finishing blow?'
The hippo's gleaming eyes were screaming that it was going to eat it itself.
A cunning, greedy beast.
To save the thieves, to avoid getting trapped in the fortress, bolstered by faith from Toolsep and Blue Eye that it wouldn't lose—it dove into battle.
But the biggest reason was curiosity.
Curiosity that made it willing to risk its life—that's human too.
And now, the prize of that fight was about to be snatched by a hippo.
Oh, the injustice.
Ibu wasn't indifferent to the Ogre King's power either.
He blinked at me a few times, then alternated glances between the hippo and the power.
Gulp— the sound of him swallowing echoed loudly in my ears.
These animal-like bastards.
I wanted to open my mouth, but it felt like I'd hurl something up. I clamped it shut.
The sharp pain in my chest worsened, forcing my eyes tightly closed.
Then I saw Luke.
Having repeatedly unleashed holy explosions, he stood amid the scorched earth.
Filthy monsters charged from afar once more.
The double-bladed sword left Luke's hand and sliced viciously through the surroundings.
I know that move.
It was the technique he'd used on the day we first met, against the Red Dragon Knights.
The monsters in its path turned to ash and scattered.
The double-bladed sword flew far and embedded itself in the ground.
Luke couldn't reach it.
The smart play would be to disperse the weapon into light and resummon it.
That's what I knew, anyway.
'Huh?'
Luke extended his arm.
The sword buried in the earth twitched, then surged toward him.
Gripping the summoned weapon, Luke lifted his visor.
His face, so like mine, moved his lips while gazing at the stars.
'Just command it...'
Words engraved on the Sanctuary's stone walls.
"Ye who have become a star, command with divinity. All things shall obey."
I opened my closed eyes and reached out my arm.
As I steadied my breath, I felt divine power gathering calmly.
The hippo, mouth agape, was trying to swallow the power—while sneakily glancing at me with rolled eyes.
"I command thee—."
-Come to me.
I couldn't add the latter part.
But it didn't matter.
Thud—.
The hippo snapped its mouth shut, swallowing nothing.
The power hurtled toward me at high speed and settled into my hand.
Grooo... .
The hippo's reaction was pure disappointment at having the power snatched from its mouth.
Luckily, it seemed to remember the favor of being saved and didn't charge me.
Getting rammed by that ironclad pig would hurt like hell.
'Let's see here...'
I examined the brown orb closely.
Without Silver Star, detailed appraisal was impossible.
I couldn't know just by looking, but I could feel it.
Once I roughly sensed it, a hollow laugh escaped me.
'Unbelievable.'
The power of gigantification, huh.
That explained why the Ogre King had fought only with mana and his axe.
Unlike me, who wielded magma and frost, this guy only had the trait of growing huge.
And even just that made him so damn strong—the Ogre King was no pushover.
"Ha, jeez... ."
Sighs kept escaping me.
Relief, or sheer absurdity—I wasn't sure.
If he'd had some offensive power on top of that, I might've lost.
"Fuckin' hell. What the shit is that? Boss? Tell Ibu? Will ya tell me? Pretty please?"
Ibu tilted his head like a dog begging for treats, eyes wide round.
"It makes you grow bigger."
I nodded toward the Ogre King's corpse.
"Fuckin' hell. Grow? How? How how, how big?"
Ibu wasn't just stumbling over words; he was groping his own body. Around his chest area.
"Not sure exactly. From the Ogre King, it seems like it makes you way bigger than others. Not partially—your whole body expands."
"Ah, fuckin' hell. Whole body... ."
Ibu squinted his eyes slyly.
Probably imagining himself supersized.
I chuckled and shook my head.
"Fuckin' hell. That bastard only ate that thing a little while ago."
"The hippo?"
I knew that much without you telling me, dumbass.
"Nah, Ogre King."
"King? Explain it so I can understand? I'm pretty wiped."
Ahem—.
Ibu cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth.
I could tell he was prepping for a long spiel.
"Fuckin' hell. Before I went 'snoooore' nap-nap, there weren't any that big. No rumors of big ones either. Even the biggest had just one extra head compared to the rest. But that guy? Extra torso or some shit. Which means—."
Ibu stroked his chin with one hand, narrowing his eyes.
"—he ate it recently. For sure, no doubt, plain as day. Saw it when it was waddling earlier, right? During the fight too?"
I saw it, but what exactly did I see? No clue.
"Fuckin' hell. It was wobbling. Couldn't do axe swings as pretty and powerful as Ibu's."
Ah, so it looked unnatural?
To me, it seemed like any other ogre.
"Hasn't fully digested it yet. That whole 'making it his own' thing? Perfectly. Ibu knows 'cause I've eaten tons of meat and digested tons too. Ibu's right. Right? Say I'm right."
Does this guy have some validation kink? Why keep forcing agreement?
Nothing else came to mind, so I nodded.
Still, a weird thought crept in.
'Feels like this bad blood just won't end. Power of gigantification... .'
If it's something huge, then maybe...
Ruler of Frost, Queen, Sovereign.
Whatever the exact title.
The first thing that came to mind was the Queen.
Couldn't say if her size was due to the power, though.
'Can't let my guard down.'
What if Teacher Queen shrank down, stalking me unnoticed...
This hypothesis wasn't impossible.
Make ogres kill me, then kill the ogres to reclaim the Insight Ability.
Ogres are berserk but low on mana, so hiding the power would be tough. Might freeze solid the moment they got it.
'Even I have to put in real effort to hide Silver Star.'
Then the shrunken Queen slips down in winter, picks it up undisturbed.
Ogre Jesus.
Way too plausible.
How'd I end up a pig? Should've asked the Ogre King before killing it.
But it's not like there's zero way to check.
'If I absorb it, I'll see the power's memories.'
Hold up.
I've only got one set of clothes.
Stay calm.
Think calmly.
'Close eyes and think. Can't focus with this Ibu punk staring.'
Absorbing it to check memories—what changes?
Queen's scheme or random find, my situation stays the same.
'Ignorance is bliss, as they say with Toolsep.'
Satisfying curiosity matters, but feels like unnecessary hassle.
Absorb on impulse and rip my clothes? Gotta consider that.
Nude show was plenty in the Sanctuary.
'Should've let the hippo have it?'
Nah. How big would that thing get?
Feeding it would break my back.
'Keep it till Silver Star wakes up, then ask.'
Good.
Decision made, my mind eased.
When I opened my eyes, my body felt much lighter.
"How are you feeling?"
Ibu? No, a man's voice.
Oh, Steron.
Steron had his hand on my back.
"When'd you get here."
"While you were meditating."
Meditating?
Me?
'I just blinked.'
Felt like mere moments, but a few minutes had passed, apparently.
Like when you're sick, close your eyes for a sec, and hours vanish. Same vibe.
Everyone had come down from the walls, cleaning up the battlefield.
"You're something else. Stepping up for them like that."
"Hear that a lot."
Even after getting chewed out before the mess, Steron was curious.
Witnessing clashing values again.
Holy Knights are just powerhouses—don't sacrifice for neighbors.
Knights are archetypes of warriors. Chivalry's just for introductions.
"Out of pity? That, I could understand a bit."
Dunno.
No discriminating rich from poor.
No favoring the revered over the reviled.
Saving people—why discriminate?
Firefighters just stand at the front when it's dangerous.
Retreat last once the threat's gone.
I'm a firefighter.
That's it.
"Just did."
Steron asked no more.
He'd need time to get me, probably.
Doesn't matter if he doesn't.
We're all living in our own worlds anyway.
Any world, same deal.
If you can live solo, ignore each other moderately, no interference.
Requiya, exhausted, leaned against the wall, staring blankly at the ogre corpse right beside him.
Ibu and the hippo sat dumbly next to Requiya.
Steron, catching my gaze, spoke up.
"The disaster—."
"It's Ibu. Not disaster."
"Correcting. Ibu refused to separate from the Captain—."
"Boss."
"Correcting. Said he wouldn't separate from Boss, so I persuaded him well."
I looked at Ibu and the hippo again.
Like street urchins squatting in a market, watching passersby, waiting for mom—like old photos from exhibits.
They gazed at me with anxious eyes.
Ah, they're waiting for me. Scared of being abandoned.
"Gotta go."
"Yes. You're good to move."
"That healing power, right?"
Whoops, rude to ask.
Powers are secrets.
Someone might covet it and target your life.
But Steron looked nonchalant.
"Yes. Lucked into it from a mountain lake spirit crossing hardships."
"Lucky break."
"Powers can come from anywhere, anything."
"Nah, you. Knowing powers are secret, yet spilling freely—you're something else too."
"Sadly, not an exceptional power. And mine's as open a secret as Boss's starlight. Probably why Captain Luke kept me at the holy gates. He's too taciturn to say outright, though."
Steron smiled faintly and stepped back.
His slight bow radiated reverence.
Me, earning a bit of his respect, it seems.