[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
***
Chapter 332: A Farewell Upon eting
How much more ti had passed?
While I was receiving lessons from the man of the highest caliber on the entire continent, having lost all track of ti—
I finally ca to understand what is called the pinnacle of the sword.
‘To make the sword cry, to forge Sword energy, and finally, to manifest Sword Aura.’
By concentrating it all into a single point, a Sword Orb is created.
A sword that embraces the ultimate Sword Intent moves on its own, without a wielder—
And in the end, one can even draw a sword from the formless void…….
“……You pass.”
The formless sword I wielded cut through Leszek's white hair, sending it fluttering down.
“Allenvert, you have undoubtedly reached a state equal to mine.”
“……I am grateful for your words, but I am still far from it.”
I sighed, watching as my masterfully cut tunic split apart.
“Anyone who saw this would think it the work of a master tailor.”
Not a single strand of hair, let alone my skin, had been cut.
And yet, a human's hand is so unsteady it cannot even slice a stationary dish with a kitchen knife without wavering.
Just what level of mastery did one need to achieve such precision? And against , of all people.
“Even if the state is the sa, the accumulation of years is sothing that cannot be easily overco,” Leszek said as if it were obvious.
“But with this, the vessel is complete. As long as you possess a caliber equal to mine—”
Leszek, who was always like a lifeless old tree, gave a rare smile and patted my shoulder.
“The preparations to take the Dragon Heart are finally complete. You have truly worked hard.”
I bowed my head to the three of them with sincere gratitude.
“It is all thanks to the three of you, who gave everything so generously.”
It was the truth.
Karzan of my past life, who lived by banging his head against the ground without anyone to guide him, had dedicated his entire life yet failed to overco the wall of the 7th-tier.
There are so walls that cannot be surpassed by talent alone.
‘To inherit everything and, in the end, to succeed it.’
Was this not the destiny of one born into a great house?
However, this was Allenvert's task, and it was also Karzan's revenge.
“Congratulations, Allen.”
“You’ve really made it this far. A prodigy is a prodigy.”
My father and Geninghen approached.
“Behold. This is the Dragon Heart, the treasure of treasures, of which only one remains on the entire continent.”
Geninghen placed the box at my feet.
“To think that a descendant will finally take the Dragon Heart recovered by our ancestor to once again defeat the Dark King. There could be nothing more wondrous.”
“……Indeed.”
“Child of destiny, you, Allenvert.”
My father commanded.
“Now, take this and transcend.”
“……I understand.”
I carefully opened the box. Inside, the heart of a dragon was revealed, as massive as a teor and as brilliant as a jewel, its light untarnished by the long years.
“There is one thing you must be careful of.”
Geninghen pointed at the Dragon Heart.
“A formidable poison has been planted within it.”
“It’s fine.”
With my current eyes, I could see it.
The essence and composition of the Dragon Heart, and the impurity mixed in with its purity.
“Those Black Society bastards are truly venomous. They planted a poison in case soone from Grunewald ever tried to consu it, didn’t they?”
I nodded at Geninghen’s words.
“That seems to be the case.”
I wasn’t even surprised anymore.
‘Because those bastards are just rotten to the core.’
Just look at the wooden box of Ereshkigal, which was the cause of my death.
It was protected by a barrier created by an 8th-tier archmage, and wasn’t it cleverly designed to explode the mont the barrier was broken?
‘If we can’t have it, we’ll destroy it.’
It was brutally rational.
But as with many things in the world, if there was one thing they could not have possibly predicted, it was my existence as Allenvert.
“Handling poison is not so difficult for .”
I ignited the ancient black fla within my dantian.
Then, grasping the Dragon Heart, I used the subtle principle of Penetration to carefully begin burning away the ‘poison-contaminated parts.’
“Hoh.”
“Quite a divine technique.”
It was a task so difficult that even the two elders were impressed. But for the of today, it was not.
“……It’s done.”
The contingency prepared by the Black Society lted away into nothing.
‘If it were now, I could have perceived even the explosive magic hidden within the barrier magic sealing Ereshkigal and destroyed it.’
That ant the reason I died was half the Dark King’s cunning, and half my own weakness for being unable to overco it.
‘So you died because you were lacking, Karzan.’
In any case, after lting the poison within the Dragon Heart, I extracted it with the power of absorption. It ford a small, black bead.
“A Poison Orb.”
“This is a poison even more virulent than that of Grimnar Angantyr and Nocturban.”
I picked up the Poison Orb.
“This is actually good. I can just devour this as well.”
With my dark mana, I could even convert this into potent energy.
“That’s even better.”
My father nodded.
“But taking the Dragon Heart cos first.”
“Yes.”
I sat down in the posture for the Limitless Heaven-Defying Art and placed my palm on the Dragon Heart.
‘Huh?’
An incredible power surged and began to pour into my body.
“Whoa, shit, wait—”
I was swept away by the crashing wave—no, by the ocean itself and imdiately lost consciousness.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I was floating in a sea of unconsciousness, an endlessly calm, black ocean. I felt like a piece of seaweed or a jellyfish, drifting aimlessly.
‘Mm….’
My scattered consciousness slowly began to return.
Just as when waking from sleep paralysis, I focused all my nerves on the extremities of my body.
Then, the awareness that began at my fingertips and toes awakened my sense of self.
I slowly, as deliberately as if performing one heavenly cycle, regained my senses.
“……Hmph.”
Finally, my mouth began to move.
“What is this situation?”
I deliberately mumbled aloud.
“Is this Mana Deviation?”
If so, I was completely screwed.
“……”
But a person’s intuition is usually accurate.
Judging by the fact that I didn’t particularly feel like I was fucked, this seed to be a state far from Mana Deviation.
‘Then what the hell is it? Is this just so stupid dream?’
In any case, my body wouldn't move, so there was nothing I could do.
I relaxed, feeling as though I were taking a nap, becoming a single, large jellyfish.
“……”
Then, in the silence, a sound slowly beca audible.
‘What is that?’
I opened my eyes. The entire sky had beco a pane of glass, reflecting sothing.
‘That is—’
A much younger version of my father, and my mother, were looking down at .
‘Eh?’
My father picked up and said.
“Lusatia, this child’s na will be Allenvert.”
……I see.
This was Allenvert’s childhood mory.
The mories that had vanished the mont I beca aware of my reincarnation.
“Allen, co here. You must eat your als, even if you don’t want to.”
“Young Master. It is ti for your history studies.”
“Oh, my. I’ve never seen anyone frequent the library as much as you, Young Master! Haha, it is this old man’s joy.”
“Allen. Co here. Your older sister will teach you the sword.”
The events written in the diary. The events I had only heard about from others. And all the things I could not have known flowed into .
It was bizarre, even to myself, how tears would flow and stop on their own, how laughter would erupt on its own, as I watched these lost childhood mories.
‘I seem like a bit of a madman.’
……The scenes flashed by like a revolving lantern. And finally.
“I am sorry. The Young Master’s body has an incurable disease.”
“A re-rebellion! Grimnar Angantyr has audaciously attempted to usurp the throne—”
“The-The Young Master has collapsed!”
“Bring a doctor!”
“……Are you awake?”
“My deepest apologies, but the lady of the house has stated she will not see anyone.”
“Y-Young Master. I am Peter, your new attendant starting today. Please command as you wish.”
“It’s a terrible fever. A single misstep, and he may never…….”
Allenvert’s ti stopped. At the age of ten.
After that, it was exactly as written in the diary.
A life on borrowed ti, rely breathing, suffering, isolated, and waiting only for death.
“……I see.”
Only then did I fully understand Allenvert’s childhood.
The sea of unconsciousness had vanished, and I was standing in a void.
“Did you want to show this?”
“Yes.”
I turned around.
A thin, small boy, whose growth had stopped at the age of ten, was looking at .
“Allenvert.”
……And.
A fierce-looking swordsman, on the cusp of forty, stood beside him.
“Karzan.”
The two mories, the two egos that comprised , were looking at .
“Then what am I?”
“You are you. And you are also us.”
Said the young Allenvert.
“But you are also neither. With two mories and egos in a single soul, you were bound to be unstable.”
Karzan said.
“……Unstable?”
Karzan retorted.
“Did you think you were normal? The way you were sotis a lunatic and other tis a nobleman wasn't sothing you could achieve just by changing your attitude.”
Even young Allenvert nodded.
“Even from my perspective, you seed a bit crazy.”
“……”
Hmm. Was I that bad?
“Your caliber has now beco limitlessly high. High enough to rge two souls.”
Karzan pointed at .
“Now, unite us who were separated. Just as you rge Brilliant Spirit Mana and Dark Soul Mana, as you rge the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique and the Silent Night Soul-Soaking Divine Art, as you rge yin and yang.”
Allenvert also spoke.
“Then, we will beco one, and achieve a limitless transcendence.”
The two took my hands.
“Just close your eyes and accept us. We will do everything.”
“……Before that.”
I looked at the two of them.
“A farewell, just as we’ve t.”
Karzan laughed, a deep laugh.
“We were together from the start. Is there anyone who grieves at parting with himself?”
Allenvert also smiled gently.
“But that very tenderness is proof that we are us.”
“Do not be sad. We will live on within you.”
A soft wind, or perhaps a gentle warmth, embraced .
“Let us begin. Close your eyes.”
……And when I opened them—
I had finally beco a transcendent being.
* * *
“Allen!”
“Are you awake?”
“It’s not Mana Deviation, is it?”
The three of them asked urgently as they looked at , now awake.
“……Father, Elders.”
I smiled, feeling a languor as if basking in the warm spring sun.
“Bring the Dark King before right now. I will beat him like a dog and make him kneel.”
“……”
Unable to contain his bewildernt, my father muttered in a tone just like Venion’s.
“There he goes again.”
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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