Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Memento Mori, Calamity Armament
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After hearing roughly about the components of Memento Mori, Havel stroked his chin.
'The guy called the Armament King is pretty suspicious.'
A being capable of infusing calamities into weapons.
'Come to think of it, that one called the Devourer.'
He had definitely appeared when Havel wielded the Star Sword.
'The Star Sword is a calamity armament too, so maybe that's why it showed up.'
It seemed like a pretty reasonable suspicion.
Havel thought as much while gripping the Star Sword.
He had gotten it back by threatening Barutuga.
The Star Sword wriggled as if craving a calamity, recognizing its master.
By the Tower's standards, several generations had passed.
It had a remarkably good memory.
As Havel infused it with calamity, the milky way's glow soon flowed once more.
It was clearly delighted, for anyone to see.
"Pyod, Elasia."
Havel called the two, and they finally pulled themselves together to look his way.
"You two, head back and start practicing with calamities."
Their faces paled slightly.
But neither could say a word.
They knew their own shortcomings all too well.
'They've got a long way to go.'
Somehow, he had ended up using both Pyod and Elasia at full capacity.
Still, it wasn't a bad thing.
Those two would be a boon even to the Banpellyon family.
'Pairing them with that guy Dante would be perfect.'
Havel tapped his chin.
If he'd known this would happen, he would've taught Dante calamities too.
But his knowledge had been limited back then.
It was regrettable in many ways.
'Even in this era, I'm still learning.'
No matter how much of the world he uncovered, new things kept emerging.
Maybe that was why.
Even after growing this strong, he still yearned to reach higher.
Havel glanced at the two bound by Elasia's light magic.
Merimoli and Barutuga.
Using those two, he could probably meet the head of Memento Mori—the Armament King.
"Barutuga, one more thing."
At that moment, Havel remembered something to ask.
Barutuga silently lifted his head at the summons.
His will was indeed broken.
"Do you know Baria Graiza? Or this guy called Moebius?"
Barutuga blinked at Havel's question.
He loved fighting, but his memory wasn't great.
Havel looked at Merimoli without much expectation.
"You."
Merimoli flinched violently the moment Havel called her.
She wasn't one to speak up easily, but her lips quivered.
Then, as if his gaze terrified her now, she parted them.
"H-He's with the main force."
There he was, after all.
"His condition?"
"...He should be safe."
Her response was a bit delayed, but there was no hint of lying.
She must have gone a little easy on him.
'As long as he's alive, that's fine.'
Havel paid it no more mind and turned his head.
Numerous presences were approaching from outside the forest.
"Lord Havel!"
Right on cue, a masked man burst into the forest.
It was Owen.
He was one of the three figures Merimoli's doll had detected.
He had been waiting near the forest the whole time.
Merimoli sighed inwardly.
That strong, and not even a hint of presence.
She hoped he wasn't too monstrous.
"The Stryke Tribe heard the commotion in the forest and is gathering."
Owen hurriedly reported to Havel.
He hadn't heard about Baria yet, so that might have piqued his curiosity.
But prioritizing the situation report—this guy was reliable.
"Got it."
Perfect timing. He had business with the Stryke Tribe anyway.
This floor required both the Stryke Tribe and Crow Tribe keys, after all.
"Might as well loot their key while we're at it."
Time to wrap everything up.
A snake's head atop a human body.
Green scales and bright yellow eyes.
The Stryke Tribe gathered at the forest's edge buzzed with murmurs.
Recently, disappearances had spiked in the forest, and now a huge commotion had been sighted.
"It must be a ghost."
One timid warrior shuddered as he spoke.
The Third Division Captain snorted.
"Ghosts? In this world? Give me a break."
As if crows ate grass.
"Prepare yourselves. The crows might have snuck in."
The warriors' eyes lit up at his words.
Crows were their staple diet.
If crows had truly infiltrated, they'd feast today.
Anticipation swept through them.
"Good warm-up before the big invasion soon."
The Third Division Captain felt the same.
As he said, the Stryke Tribe was plotting to invade Havel City.
He enjoyed hunting crows at the best of times.
Of course he was excited.
"Follow me."
He led the way into the forest.
The woods were as dense as the rumors of disappearances suggested.
Plus, with the ghost talk earlier, an eerie atmosphere hung in the air.
'Tch, shouldn't have said that.'
The Captain clicked his tongue and heightened his senses.
The commotion had come from not far ahead.
Soon, as the Captain emerged from the trees—
"Wh-what is this?"
His jaw dropped at the sight.
The forest interior was utterly devastated.
Trees uprooted and scattered, ground churned everywhere.
A total wasteland.
"Mage, check it out!"
The Captain couldn't stand it and called for the mage.
This defied explanation without magic.
But the mage soon shook his head.
"Not magic. Some physical impact."
The mage's face was grim.
To him, this scene would have been preferable if it were magic.
"Use detection magic too."
Stryke Tribe's specialty magic.
Perfect for sensing presences.
As the mage began casting—
Thwack!
The mage's body suddenly tilted.
Everyone watched, still processing, when—
A stone shard rolled from the mage's caved-in head.
No bigger than a finger joint.
That did it.
That tiny thing shattered the constant barrier of a mage who layered defenses.
The Captain's sword with aura could withstand five strikes.
One pebble pulverized it.
"Damn it! Defensive formation!"
The Captain spat curses, drawing his sword and aura.
He couldn't fall to another pebble.
"No more mages, it seems."
A voice rang out then.
The Captain whipped around to see a white-haired man.
Stepping from between the trees, his hair gleamed in the sunlight.
It almost looked silver at a glance.
Something chilling gripped the Captain at the sight.
Something bad was happening.
"Gh-ghost!"
The timid warrior from before screamed instinctively.
Pale skin, eyes faintly glowing.
He looked like a ghost straight out of a tale.
"Ghost my ass."
The Captain gripped his sword tight and inhaled sharply.
His already massive frame seemed even larger.
He leveled his sword at Havel.
"Don't come closer. Are you the one who caused this racket?"
Havel answered by drawing his sword.
Galactic light flowed along the pitch-black blade.
An ominous aura emanated from it.
"Third Captain, isn't that the Star Sword?"
A warrior versed in crow lore spoke up.
"Star Sword?"
"Don't the crows have a legend? When they're in peril, the Lion of the Night appears."
"Those idiots believe that crap?"
"I thought it was just a legend too, but..."
The warrior eyed Havel fearfully.
"He matches the description perfectly."
Nearly silver-white hair.
Tall stature, handsome face.
And above all, the sword flowing with milky way light.
The spitting image of the Lion of the Night from crow legends.
"If it's real, he might have sensed our invasion."
"Hah."
The Captain scoffed in disbelief.
Green aura poured from his sword.
It formed dozens of snake apparitions.
Hiss!
The snakes slithered down his arm like liquid, dripping off.
Gleaming with feral eyes amid the serpents, the Captain snarled.
"You've been yapping about ghosts and night lions this whole time."
His form blurred then.
In an instant, he was behind Havel, swinging a sword as big as the man himself.
"Time to smash a ghost and wake you up."
The aura snake lunged for Havel's throat.
Claaang!
A ferocious clang echoed through the forest.
Gale-force winds whipped up, proving the strike's power.
But the sight before his eyes was unbelievable.
Cracks spiderwebbed across his full-force swing.
"Urk, ugh!"
Pain surged through his arm like striking bare steel without aura.
A shock that nearly made a lifelong warrior drop his sword.
Snap, clatter!
The snake's fangs that bit Havel shattered outright.
Unable to pierce his skin, let alone wound him.
The Captain's eyes narrowed.
"What sorcery!"
Too late—he shouted as Havel seized his head and crushed his shoulder like tin.
"Gaaaah!"
"You talk too much."
Listening was a chore.
Havel obliterated the Captain's shoulder.
The man screamed bloody murder.
He had self-regeneration, but there were limits.
Fixing a pulverized shoulder would take time.
And the agony in the meantime was all his.
"So."
Havel kicked the Captain aside casually and smiled slowly.
The Stryke warriors stood frozen before him.
"Which of you is the biggest blabbermouth?"
First come, first served.