Got Dumped and Became a Nerf Ability User

Episode 82: The Ever-Rising Moon, White Night, Fading Moon

‘White Night, huh?! That’s…’

The quest I received after reading a book about vampires.

‘Quest, view.’

– Ding!

『Quest』

『Collapsed Paradise』

『Correct the flow of time by following the life that blossomed from death.』

『White Night. 0/1』

『Reward: A book inscribed with secrets.』

This matches with the rewards I obtain here.

I don’t remember it clearly, but…

‘I feel like I had some conversation with a dragon in my dream.’

Now, I couldn’t recall it well.

【Dreams disappear from memory quickly, so there’s nothing that can be done. I’m not sure what it was.】

“When you say White Night… it refers to the phenomenon where it doesn’t get dark at night, right, Dad?”

“That’s right… Certainly, light is fatal to vampires… But why does that create a problem for Irlya to inherit the title?”

The moonlight entering the cave grew more intense.

As if it were the last light that could be sent out.

“Almost all the vampires live within my territory. However, if eternal morning arrives in that territory… the weaker vampires will perish in order, and in the end, even the progenitors will not be able to escape death. The very few surviving kin will scatter, and we will become a minority race like the dragons.”

“Certainly, it would be difficult to act as nobles in such a place.”

Irlya listened to our conversation, gripping tightly the bottle containing the secret poison she had been hiding.

“Then, where is Harin… my companion?”

“Are you worried about your companion?”

“Of course, tell me quickly.”

I urged him.

“The woman you seek… is in the room where the guests are staying. They probably locked the door with a steel chain and a padlock, so she likely hasn’t had a chance to see outside since coming here.”

“The room where the guests are staying?”

“Anyway, my daughter probably knows, so you don’t need to ask me. It’s better to ask only the necessary questions… rookie.”

I washed my face with cold water.

His behavior towards me, seemingly changed since we first met, paradoxically felt strange to me.

“… You seem to have become quite kind, but was it simply because you were drunk when you swung your sword at me the first time?”

“Do you really think that’s a necessary question…? Well, it is. The reason I attacked you was that it reminded me of my childhood self. The clumsy posture, the fighting style relying on luck, the sword resembling mine. Even the condition of the weapon was similarly worn out somewhere.”

“Is that really the only reason?”

“You wouldn’t understand this feeling because you’re not involved. It wasn’t an emotion that could be easily dismissed. Just recalling that time when I was lacking in skill was a continuous pain. Olivia died because of my deficiencies. I was unable to protect her due to my lack of strength. I lost my loved one because I was a ‘rookie.'”

Love dulled even the once-strong Verdium.

“Rookie… seems too strong a term for you.”

I mulled over his words.

A sword like Verdium.

And a rookie who lost a loved one.

I must be feeling that they have a lot in common.

“If I were truly strong, I would have certainly protected her. It was a mere event that happened a few hundred years ago. I am still unchanged and weak. If I had grown strong, I would have definitely saved her.”

“Dad…”

“Irlya, do you remember the necklace I gave you hundreds of years ago?”

She took off the necklace that hung around her neck.

Normally, I couldn’t tell if she was wearing it as it was hidden beneath her dress.

“Of course, I remember; how could I forget? This was the first and last gift you gave me.”

“Actually, it belonged to Olivia. It was something she left behind just before she died.”

“… This necklace was Mom’s keepsake…? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

【You didn’t know that necklace was your mother’s keepsake? How interesting.】

Chaewon muttered, looking at the necklace held in Irlya’s hand.

“I’m sorry for being a good-for-nothing father.”

It didn’t seem that Verdium had any particular reason for not informing Irlya that the necklace was her mother’s heirloom.

“Cough… is this it for me?”

“What do you mean by ‘this is it’?”

“I’ve paid the price for failing to revive the dead. Soon, I too shall be able to join my wife. If I couldn’t save her, then following her will be a simple matter. Easy enough. Heh heh…”

“Following Mom, what do you mean, Dad…? Did I misunderstand?”

Ah, that’s why he said it was better to ask only the necessary questions.

Because he has little time left.

It seems I made the right choice coming straight here without searching the mansion.

Verdium’s condition appears to be in such bad shape that it’s obvious he won’t last long.

If I had delayed even a little, I surely wouldn’t have been able to gather any information.

Irlya looked at Verdium in shock.

The trembling under her eyes, her shaking pupils, and the widening of her irises clearly showed that she was very surprised.

“Rookie, my time is truly limited now… to the point that I cannot even say farewell to Irlya. So hurry, draw your sword.”

“All of a sudden?”

“The term ‘suddenly’ doesn’t apply when a knight draws their sword.”

Following Verdium’s words, I pulled out my sword from the inventory.

“It’s fairly elaborate spatial magic for a rookie. Raise your sword correctly and point it at me.”

“I-I’ve aimed it, but what are you planning to do? Do you want to fight?”

“Hmph, you’re a rookie and foolish… I’m unsure if I can entrust Irlya to you…”

“W-Who are you even entrusting me to?!”

Irlya shouted loudly, almost in disbelief.

“What, at this point, there’s no way to reverse it. Use that sword and stab me to death.”

Suddenly asking me to kill him.

“It sounds like you’re asking me to kill you… I’m not sure if I understood that correctly.”

“There’s no need to confirm. You know better than anyone else, except for me, that there is a monstrous power dormant within that sword.”

“A monstrous power?”

Could it be the ability to contain a queen’s soul?

It doesn’t even specifically refer to a queen, nor does it seem like a particularly overpowered ability.

I wouldn’t think of it as a monstrous power at all.

To be honest, the ability to contain a queen’s soul feels a bit like a penalty.

【Are you not having some kind of impure thoughts now? Did I mishear…?】

“Yes, that sword gains experience through the act of taking life. With that experience, the sword grows. How pathetic of you to feign ignorance while knowing this…”

… I knew the sword could grow.

Indeed, thanks to the effect of the system’s blessing, I myself am in a state capable of infinite growth.

I don’t know if there’s an end or not, but it’s surely a state where a weapon can grow.

“I can’t quite understand what you’re pondering. After all, weren’t you planning to kill me anyway? If so, go ahead and finish it quickly. By killing me with that weapon, you allow it to experience part of my strength and grow.”

“Are you not going to regret this?”

“Just do it quickly.”

I focused strength into the sword.

“Dad…”

“I’ll finish this quickly, Irlya.”

“I… I’ll step outside for a moment. Once it’s done… just come over to my side.”

Irlya seemed to lack the courage to witness this scene, leaving her spot.

“I’m going, Verdium. You don’t regret this?”

“Don’t hesitate. I will be dead in a few minutes anyway. Just do it.”

Swish!-

My sword sliced through the air, tearing through the resistance as it moved forward with its sharp tip.

Thud!-

Soon, my sword was drenched in blood.

The color of my sword, which had been based on black, began to be completely covered by red blood.

“As death approaches, I feel rather sleepy, it seems.”

Swish!-

As I withdrew the sword, Verdium’s red liquid sprayed and scattered on the ground.

“Hahaha… Soon, I’ll be able to meet you… Olivia…”

– Thud.

Ultimately, he completely fell.

The ritual to revive the dead using ‘Parasite’ had incapacitated even the once-strong Verdium.

I could only quietly wish that this parasite would not spread throughout the world I live in.

“Please take care of Irlya… rookie from the outside…”

Verdium combined the guest from the outside and the rookie, making his last plea to me.

Before he died, he left me a final request, and Verdium departed to join his wife without hearing my answer.

– Ding!

[You have defeated Verdium Violet (Lv.72).]

[Defeating Verdium Violet has greatly increased your level from 30 to 48.]

[The level of King’s Insight has risen from Lv.3 to Lv.4. You can now check more information.]

[The level of Invisibility has risen from Lv.1 to Lv.2. Duration is increased.]

[The level of Acceleration has risen from Lv.1 to Lv.2.]

‘Huh? Why didn’t the offensive skills level up this time?’

【Isn’t it because there weren’t any particular battles?】

Is that so?

– Ding!

[You have defeated a monster while overcoming a level difference of 10 or more.]

[Corresponding rewards will be given.]

[You can choose one from three random rewards.]

[Rewards]

1. Skill – Bleeding Partner

2. Currency – G Coin random bundle

3. Item – Bomb doll

It seems that each time, one item from skill, currency, and item appears.

The first skill seems to be the moves used by the enemy I defeated.

‘Last time, it was a dual-wielding technique used by the black-armored enemy.’

The second option always seems to provide the same item.

‘I think last time it was lucky to get 10 G Coins.’

The third option always shows bizarre choices.

‘No, before it seemed to offer some seemingly useless choices like rope, but why is it a bomb doll this time? I really can’t understand it.’

But since there’s somewhere it might be useful, maybe that’s why it’s shown to me.

The system doesn’t offer useless options to me.

‘Hmm… should I test my heightened insight now?’

I became curious if I could gain insight into the skill listed in the rewards that I had never seen before.

‘King’s Insight, activate.’

I used King’s Insight on Bleeding Partner.

– Ding!

[Checking the skill’s information.]

[Information]

Name: Bleeding Partner(?)

Type: Skill

Feature: Upon use, it infuses power into the sword. Your attacks induce stronger bleeding. Each time you attack, the ensuing bleeding power will attack that space once more.

==========

Seeing this description, I chose this skill without hesitation.

– Ding! You have acquired Bleeding Partner (B).

Since I didn’t have many combat skills and felt confident it would fit my combat style well.

Next, I needed to take the skill that Verdium had.

‘Ability Inheritance, activate.’

– Ding!

[Inheriting abilities from the monster’s corpse.]

[Inheritable abilities]

1. Shadow Attack

2. Self-Made Swordsmanship

3. Bloodsucking

4. Attribute Infusion

5. Last Fight

6. Preemptive Strike

7. Frantic Dash

One option has been removed.

Verdium was indeed a self-made person.

His swordsmanship spoke of the path he had walked.

Still, it’s irrelevant to me, so I’ll pass on number two.

I also don’t need numbers three and six, so I’ll skip those.

I don’t understand what five means.

‘King’s Insight, activate.’

I used King’s Insight on Last Fight.

– Ding!

[Checking the skill’s information.]

[Information]

Name: Last Fight(?)

Type: Skill

Feature: When used, it makes a last stand just before death. When your life is about to end, you get one last opportunity to attack. The final attack will be a critical hit.

==========

Hmm… doesn’t seem that great.

If I’m going to die anyway, hitting a critical won’t have much meaning.

I passed on option number five.

By the way, I’m feeling good as the level of insight has risen, providing me with many useful options.

Option four, Attribute Infusion. As the name implies, a technique to infuse attributes.

It is indeed a common option that frequently appears as I predicted.

Number seven is different from the dash I saw before, having ‘Frantic’ in front of it.

Could it mean to dash to the point of forgetting oneself?

I lost interest quickly and turned my eyes back to option one.

I realized that insight also applies to information from the ability inheritance, so I figured it might work here too.

‘King’s Insight, activate.’

I used King’s Insight on Shadow Attack.

– Ding!

[Checking the skill’s information.]

[Information]

Name: Shadow Attack(?)

Type: Skill

Feature: When used, you can hide into shadows. You can spring out from others’ shadows. While hidden in the shadows, you can check the outside view from below the owner of the shadow you wish to emerge from.

==========

Considering everything, this Shadow Attack could be the best attack skill or the best evasion skill out of the seven choices, making it the one that suits me best.

I chose Shadow Attack.

– Ding! You have acquired Shadow Attack (A).

“Ha… is this enough?”

I let out a big breath as if having completed a substantial task.

– Crunch.

Verdium became a gate to the outside world.

It’s quite fascinating, but rather unsettling.

By the way, will showing this to Triche convince them that I’m from another world?

Anyway, I need to find Harin before leaving here.

I can’t just leave her behind.

– Aahh!

I heard a voice from outside.

It was Irlya’s voice.

I rushed outside in a hurry.

**********

“Irlya? What’s wrong?!”

I swiftly exited the cave.

Outside the cave, a sudden sun was pouring down deadly heat.

【Is this the ‘White Night’ curse that the duke spoke of? It was definitely night just a moment ago, right?】

I found Irlya collapsed, leaning against the cave entrance.

Her skin was gradually being scorched by the intense sunlight.

I hastily moved Irlya inside the cave entrance.

Into the shaded area where the gate couldn’t be seen.

“Stop.”

The light-reflecting light purple hair.

“Triche?”

“I’ve taken care of the annoying ones in advance. You wouldn’t be able to stop me with your skills.”

“What are you talking about? Wasn’t she collapsed because of the sunlight?”

“Are you talking about Irlya? Naturally, I knocked her out. No matter how strong the sunlight is, a progenitor can withstand it for at least three minutes.”

“You knocked Irlya out? You’re her user!”

“Shut up, how long are you going to keep calling my alias?”

“Alias? Your name is Triche, right?”

Triche lightly tossed her hair.

“Triche? Sorry, but that’s not my name.”

She then promptly lifted her skirt, pulling out two daggers stuck in her garter belt.

“Allow me to introduce myself once again… I am Beatrice, the sub-master of the Ring Guard Adventurer Guild. I will face you here and now.”

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