Chapter 73 – Conclusion (1)

Conclusion

Leaving behind the greatsword that had become a magic sword, whether it was a holy sword or a magic sword, Veloc entered his inner world. Soon, he was startled. Aside from Knight’s Swordsmanship, Unquenchable Fighting Spirit, and Sixth Sense, another skill was shining: ‘Lightning Sword’.

What on earth is this? Does it have something to do with the sword changing just a moment ago? Veloc checked the skill, but unlike a real game, a description didn’t pop up. Only the skill name was written. Damn it. How am I supposed to use it if I don’t know anything about it?

[Remaining Skill Points: 5]

Veloc tried to invest all his remaining points into the newly acquired skill, but the damn skill wouldn’t even take points. What really is this? He was flustered, but regained his composure after a moment. Whatever it was, gaining new strength was a positive thing. As he continued his journey in the future, he would probably figure out how to use this power. Wait, continuing the journey? Pushing aside the thoughts that welled up unconsciously, Veloc used the remaining points.

Since swordsmanship and fighting spirit were already at their limits, he invested all his points into Sixth Sense. And just as he allocated stats to stamina to restore his body to normal, several voices were heard.

-I told you it was reckless! Are you okay?

-Are you alright?

-To think he split that thing apart like that… That’s truly amazing.

This sound again. It felt like it was about time to get used to it. Veloc, who had many things to think about, from the newly acquired mysterious power and the transformed weapon to his further strengthened body, cursorily brushed off the worried words of his companions. Then, he held out the rune-engraved sword to Cara.

“Cara. Do you recognize what this is?”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden? No, wait a minute…”

Cara ran her hand over the rune engraved on the blade, then shut her mouth tight. It seemed she had something to think about.

“A sword that suddenly changed its appearance. I do have one guess. So…”

At that moment, the ground rumbled. It was the sound of the dead giant crocodile’s corpse sinking. Cara pointed to the ceiling with her staff and spoke.

“I’ll tell you once we get out of here first.”

She cast the levitation magic once again, and the party opened the door on the ceiling and headed to the upper floor.

#

It was stairs again. The party walked through a space blocked all around by gray bricks on the ceiling, floor, and sides. It was like walking inside a stone coffin. Where was the end of this damn castle? Just then, Cara, who was walking ahead with the light of her staff leading the way, spoke.

“Do you know why monsters that pop out from deep mountains, valleys, or underground attack and eat people?”

“Because they’re hungry?”

Cara smirked at the simple answer. ‘Hmm. That’s a bit annoying.’ Just as Veloc thought that, she spoke again.

“Of course, that could be a reason. To monsters, human flesh is an easily obtainable food and a delicacy. But… there is one more reason.”

She licked her lips once.

“Humans become more experienced the more battles they go through with monsters, because they gain experience. And when they make weapons and armor out of the hides or skulls left behind by those bastards, they become even stronger. The same goes for monsters. They also gain something when they eat humans. They absorb various powers contained in that person’s blood, flesh, spinal cord, organs, bones, and bone marrow.”

So my sword ate monsters and grew stronger? Is it an evolving sword? Isabel chimed in.

“I’ve heard stories about monsters that grew stronger by eating a lot of people, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a weapon doing that?”

Cara shrugged.

“What that sword devoured wasn’t ordinary monsters, was it? They were demons. Monsters that harbor underground magical power inside their bodies.”

“My sword doesn’t seem to have any particular reaction. Is the number of kills really what’s important?”

As Adel muttered while fiddling with the scimitar at her waist, Cara nodded.

“That could be it. Or maybe its owner is special… In any case, your sword has drunk the blood of countless evil spirits and grown stronger. The appearance of the rune means that a special power has settled in it. By any chance, are you hearing any auditory hallucinations?”

“What kind of sound?”

When Veloc asked, Cara, who was climbing the stairs, looked at him with eyes full of half-curiosity and half-worry.

“Whispers like ‘Kill. Feed me blood. Offer sacrifices.’ You know, the kind of things a magic sword mutters to corrupt or entice its owner.”

Veloc examined the sword he was carrying once again. There was nothing special about it other than the single rune engraved on it.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual. More importantly, when I cut the crocodile monster earlier, the sword emitted electricity. What on earth is the principle behind that?”

The new power that had formed inside him, ‘Lightning Sword’, was undoubtedly the same as the power residing in this sword. With the decisive battle against the Archdemon ahead, it was best to use all the cards at his disposal. The answer to his question came from Cara. She said,

“If it’s a mysterious power of unknown identity, it’s highly likely to respond to your will. Why don’t you try shouting it in your mind?”

“What?”

“Anything is fine. Imagine a medium that can draw out that power, or wish for it strongly while grasping the sword.”

It sounded like pie in the sky. However, there was no other way besides her words. Just as Veloc was about to experiment with something, the gray stone tomb ended. As expected, a single door appeared ahead. He hoped it was truly the end this time.

“Will there be another trap?”

“Should I memorize levitation magic? Or a shield…”

Just as the party tensed their bodies while holding their respective weapons ready, Veloc stepped forward.

“Wait! Veloc! We don’t know what might come out next!”

“There doesn’t seem to be any traps.”

Was it thanks to the Sixth Sense that had grown stronger after investing points? He didn’t feel any danger other than the bizarre sensation coming from beyond the door. Thus, Veloc kicked the door open with his foot. Darkness crept in slowly. Soon, those masses of shadow wrapped warmly around the party’s bodies. If you like the dark so much, you should have stayed cooped up underground. Why did you climb all the way up here to act up? cursing inwardly, Veloc led the way. The party followed him up.

Cara cast a bright light from her staff, allowing the party to look around. A velvet carpet was spread tightly across the floor, and marble statues and picture frames hung in abundance along the sides. It was a luxuriously decorated corridor, unlike anything they had seen so far. In Veloc’s eyes, the actions of those in power were mostly the same. They preferred to decorate the houses they lived in more splendidly, comparing themselves to others. Right, so you were hiding here.

“Do you think it depicts the king’s life?”

Isabel muttered as they walked down the corridor. Portraits were painted in the frames. From the appearance of a young child without even a beard, to a young man holding a sword and slaying various monsters. The paintings changed as the group moved. From a young man to a middle-aged man wearing a crown, to an elderly man with a white beard receiving the cheers of the people. Every single achievement the king had accomplished was painted and decorated on the wall. What an astronomical waste of money. It was after that that the atmosphere changed abruptly.

A father getting his head chopped off on a guillotine and his wailing family, people being eaten whole by monsters, a horned demon skewering people to death, and a crowned man sitting on a throne, watching it all and smirking. Now, only grotesque abominations hung on the walls of the corridor to welcome them. What a lunatic. Turning her head, Adel sniffed and frowned deeply.

“It seems they were painted with real blood. The fishy smell is vibrating.”

“Is this what happens to everyone who sells their soul to a demon? This is not something a human would do…”

“Because he discarded his humanity, his way of thinking has changed accordingly. He probably thinks he just killed some bugs.”

Just as Cara’s cynical voice echoed, something blurry appeared ahead beyond the sphere of light. Detecting it first, Veloc extended his arm and made the party stop.

“It doesn’t seem to be a person… Is it a ghost?”

A woman wearing a frilled apron was creeping toward the party. Her slightly parted lips, her hazy, unfocused eyes, and crucially, her body which looked entirely pale blue. It was indeed a ghost. Before Veloc could even draw his sword, she spoke.

“The floor… I have to wipe the floor. Otherwise, I’ll be scolded by the head maid.”

“Guests are coming? You want me to serve them? But I… Yes, I understand.”

“Jimmy. Wait just a little bit. Big sister will make a lot of money and buy you lots of delicious food.”

She muttered without rest, then suddenly sank to the floor. Then, she twisted her head once to the right, once to the left, and finally cracked it at a bizarre angle, letting out a shriek.

“Aaaaargh! It hurts! It hurts! Why do I! Why! Why do I have to suffer like this? Someone save me! Pick up my entrails!”

Standing on the boundary of light and shadow, the specter shedding tears of blood was utterly horrifying. A greatsword fell over her head. The rune flashed, and sparks crackled. The specter, bound to this world by a wicked curse, disappeared without a trace. Is this how you use it? As Veloc tilted his head, Cara clicked her tongue. Soon, she spoke in a low voice.

“He sacrificed them. Everyone inside the royal palace, that is. They all fell victim to a grotesque ritual, either becoming monsters or having only their souls remain to suffer endlessly.”

From the end of the dark corridor, specters continued to appear. A gardener holding shears, cutting his own hair instead of weeds. A dancer wailing and dancing, and a minstrel singing while similarly bleeding. Scenes that planted disgust in Veloc and fear in the rest of the party continued.

Under the pretext of gaining experience, he granted them peace. Did the souls who suffered under the king’s evil deeds truly receive salvation? Or were they thrown into the abyss of hell? Whatever the case, it didn’t matter to Veloc. Instead of dying to the mad king, he was planning to drive his sword into the bastard’s head.

Had they walked for a long time like that? The corridor ended. A massive iron door was visible at the end. Instead of the now-familiar ox head, it was a door embossed with a skull. Next to the iron door, corpses skewered from their lower bodies to their heads were displayed like trophies. Damn. He really has a knack for ruining one’s appetite. Was he inside? Veloc’s Sixth Sense rang alarm bells. It was a phenomenon that occurred as the energy slowly seeping through the gaps of the door disrupted his senses. He spoke.

“It seems the culprit behind all this is inside there.”

Just as Adel was about to say something while tightly gripping her sword, a voice was heard.

“I wonder if you liked the welcoming greeting I prepared. It was quite an entertaining sight.”

The party’s gazes turned. The voice was flowing from the mouth of a skewered corpse. Perhaps because of that, it was a bizarre voice mixed with choking wind sounds. Before the party could open their mouths to say anything, Veloc swung his sword. The skewered corpse flew off with a thud. Then, a voice came from another corpse next to it, filled with laughter.

“Young knight, you are rough-handed. I am the sole ruler of this land, and the legitimate heir who received the oath of loyalty from my subjects. Show a bit more manners…”

Veloc’s sword flashed. This time, all the corpses around the door flew off at once. Bastard. Chattering so damn much through a single door. Veloc gave his sword a quick flick, then turned back.

Isabel was swallowing hard with her hand on her bowgun, while Cara was muttering a spell, her eyes shining a bright blue. Adel was reciting a prayer, holding her sword up to her chest. Good. The preparations are complete. Draping the greatsword over his shoulder as he always did, he kicked the door open.

In the darkness, a single crystal ball was visible, shining alone. The figures of the party walking in were fully captured inside it. The party didn’t pay it any mind, as there was something else catching their attention. Veloc raised his head slightly. Directly above the crystal ball, two pairs of glowing red eyes could be seen. The ominous energy tightening around their bodies was emanating from those dark shadows.

The hotbed of corruption, a monster that had lived for hundreds of years. The leader of the fiends who engaged in dirty conspiracies and devastated the kingdom. He spoke.

“Astaroth.”

As if responding to Veloc’s words, laughter echoed. It resonated widely across the space rather than from a single spot. Soon, a clap was heard, and numerous flames blazed up all at once.

Dozens of candle stands swayed and danced, brightly illuminating the surroundings.

Amid the flickering flames, atop a throne adorned with gold, the corrupted king and the archdemon looked down upon them arrogantly.