NOVEL NEXT Chapter 249
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Yussi, Taylor, and Noubelmag moved to one side of the ruined workshop.
It took them some time to shake off the embarrassment.
Taylor was the first to speak up.
“So.”
“So what.”
Yussi replied roughly, her messy hair emitting smoke from the ends.
Taylor sighed deeply.
“Did it fail?”
“Oh you could tell?”
“Damn it. How much did you waste?”
“About 2,000 gold?”
Thud-
Taylor took out a new bottle from her pocket and took a sip.
“No chance of success at all?”
“….”
As Yussi fell silent, Noubelmag interjected.
“…Of course, I didn’t expect to succeed on the first try.”
He looked grimly at the exploded workbench, then nodded decisively.
“We’ll try again.”
Yussi regained her strength and stood up straight.
“Of course. Maybe it’ll work next time if we just adjust the mixture a bit.”
The greatest blacksmith and alchemist.
But confidence was hard to find on the faces of the two as they faced the upcoming task.
That’s how difficult this project was.
Taylor looked at them pitifully.
‘…It’s an unprecedented experiment.’
…Extracting divine power from sacred stones and relics, then artificially amplifying that concentration.
[TL/N: Consecration and sacred stones are same.]
That was the essence of the experiment that had just exploded.
‘I hope it works out.’
Taylor, looking at her colleagues standing in front of the workbench again, recalled a few days ago.
The day Dante secretly recruited the members.
“There might be a way to extend the lifespan of the Hero.”
All eyes turned to Dante at once.
“…What?”
“Is that possible?”
Dante abandoned his usual mischief and spoke seriously.
“First, let’s review the Hero’s condition. You all have an idea of the cause of his condition, right?”
Everyone nodded.
Of course, the Hero hadn’t clearly explained his condition.
But, as Dante said, the members had a rough idea of the situation.
“Yeah, it’s because the vessel of life is damaged.”
People are born with a certain amount of life force.
It’s called innate vitality or original vitality.
It’s a power that can’t be used artificially, only borrowed through abilities like Dante’s.
But occasionally.
In moments of great crisis, a person might awaken that power, displaying an overwhelming strength that surpasses their limits.
Even members who have overcome numerous trials had experienced such moments once or twice.
“The problem is, if you keep using that power recklessly, the person themselves… the vessel containing their life force gets damaged.”
Using the life force contained in the vessel isn’t much of a problem.
But once the vessel starts to deteriorate, it becomes irreversible.
“Bottomless poison. The container loses life force faster than it can accumulate. Even if you just sit still, your life force drains away as if you’re in a life-and-death struggle.”
The members fell silent.
Because it was Dante, who actually traded his life for his abilities, the weight of his words felt heavier.
He shrugged his shoulders.
“If he had been an ordinary person, he would have died on the spot from such reckless actions. But because he’s such a strong martial artist and has an exceptional life force, he’s barely holding on.”
Yussi spoke up then.
“…So what’s the way to extend the Hero’s lifespan?”
Dante answered promptly.
“Healing with divine power.”
Yussi’s expression became strange.
The other members were equally puzzled.
“…Yeah, using sacred stones, relics, and healing with the touch of the divine. Do you think I haven’t thought of that?”
Even using the touch of the divine is futile.
According to the previous owner, even gathering the maximum divine power couldn’t save someone on the brink of death.
The Hero himself said that amputation wounds are the limit of healing.
‘We might be able to fill his life force slightly, but…’
Unfortunately, sacred stones and relics are extremely limited in quantity.
Moreover, due to this recent incident, the supply has been greatly depleted.
Even if we gather all that’s left on the market, it would be difficult to significantly extend the Hero’s lifespan.
‘…In the first place, once the vessel of life is damaged, it’s just a matter of time before it’s beyond repair.’
As everyone was losing hope…
Rustle-
Dante took out an old document from his pocket.
Everyone looked at the pile of papers with curiosity.
“It’s a document from the First Era.”
“What’s it about?”
“It’s about someone whose life vessel was destroyed, like the Hero.”
As Dante proudly smiled at his bewildered colleagues.
“To be precise, it’s a record of his recovery. What did he say… he lived for over thirty years after that.”
For a while, no one spoke.
“So, the point is, we can heal the leader. If we solve just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
Dante spoke with a bright smile.
“The concentration of divine power.”
“…Concentration?”
“The person who healed the man mentioned in this document was the archbishop of the church.”
Dante began to explain.
The divine power in the sacred stones and relics is weak in quantity and quality due to hundreds of years passing.
That’s why, no matter how remarkable the touch of the divine is as an artifact, it cannot present ‘archbishop-level healing’ as a catalyst.
“So, we need to increase the level of divine power that acts as a catalyst.”
The first to understand Dante’s meaning were Yussi and Noubelmag.
Excitedly, Yussi jumped up and pointed at Noubelmag with her index finger.
“Inspiration!”
Noubelmag was equally excited, not resisting the excitement.
They exchanged words in an instant.
“If we have inspiration that can delicately handle the power of eccentric spirits! Maybe!”
“Yeah, that’s it. Extracting it might be possible. Maybe even purification.”
“If you do that for me, I’ll find a way somehow. Amplifying the power and increasing the purity of separately separated energies is as easy as eating bread in alchemy!”
Yussi’s face looked like she was about to cry.
Extracting and purifying divine power was an attempt unprecedented in the history of the Second Era.
It would require numerous samples.
And sacred stones and relics are worth more than a few gold coins.
Even if they were to gather all the remaining ones in the market, it would still be difficult to significantly extend the Hero’s lifespan.
But it didn’t matter.
If only the Hero could be healed, they would take all the gold coins.
The other members also looked at each other with bright smiles.
…Anyway.
This was why the members were able to have a good time with the children despite the Hero’s shocking time-limited statement.
Because there was hope.
The ruined workshop.
Taylor looked back at the alchemy and metallurgy duo who were once again absorbed in their work.
“Damn it, Yussi. Do you think that Hero gave you new arms and legs just so you can stir up that potion!”
“Please shut up!”
It was then that the face of one of her colleagues, who had been so bright, came to mind.
“Dante, where did you find this material?”
“…Have you forgotten? I’m also someone whose vessel of life is in danger.”
They couldn’t help but stare at Dante, speechless.
As he said, Dante had used a tremendous amount of mana to save his comrades during the swarm.
‘It was definitely a long shot.’
The problem was that he had no way of estimating his remaining life force like the Hero.
In other words, he could die tomorrow.
Taylor couldn’t help but ask this question.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“…You?”
“Taylor.”
Dante smiled again.
“Are you serious?”
There aren’t that many sacred stones or artifacts left.
Dante left those words behind and mingled with his happy colleagues.
Click-clack-
Taylor looked into the bottle with her remaining eye.
The bottom was already visible.
“…Damn.”
She doen’t think the rum was ever this bitter when she was pirating.
“I guess I should have some dessert.”
How great it would be if the world only had concerns like ‘My boyfriend is passive’.
Taylor sighed heavily and left the workshop.
* * *
At the same time.
“…I am Izaro. Your brother.”
The Hero faced Izaro.
Izaro had calm but indifferent eyes.
There was no hint of emotion toward the Hero in his eyes.
A stark contrast to Rosalyn, who harbored goodwill toward ‘Ted’ and the Hero.
…He gave the impression of being mineral-like.
Tchak-
The sunlight by the seaside penetrated through his deep wrinkles.
It overlapped with the middle-aged Zero seen in the library of memories.
‘Izaro was created during Zero’s last years, wasn’t he?’
Nodding-
As the Hero bowed his head, Izaro gestured to him.
“Let’s walk for a bit. The west coast is particularly beautiful.”
“Of course.”
Following Izaro silently, the Hero passed through the village and headed towards the coast.
Contrary to expectations, Izaro didn’t say a word during the walk.
‘I thought he’d ask me this and that.’
He didn’t even glance or ask questions.
But it wasn’t particularly uncomfortable or awkward.
No, it felt more comfortable than when facing Rosalyn.
The fact that there was no need to sustain Ted’s act contributed to this comfort.
‘Homunculus who knows my identity. A brother who shares the same origin…’
The Hero silently watched the old man’s back as he walked ahead.
The villagers silently greeted him as he passed.
Something lingered in the Hero’s eyes.
“It seems you’ve stayed here for a long time.”
“…Considering I’ve traveled back and forth for hundreds of years, staying for a long time would be appropriate.”
“Hmm?”
…He hadn’t expected hundreds of years.
The Hero blinked.
What could be so important in this secluded countryside to warrant such a long journey back and forth?
‘Rosalyn said Izaro is carrying out the task entrusted to him by Zero.’
But no matter how much he looked around, there was no sign of anything that Izaro, a powerful homunculus like him, would need to handle here.
It was then that Izaro spoke with a blunt voice.
“It’ll take about a week to break the curse. If you have any questions during that time, feel free to ask. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”
The Hero immediately thought of questions.
“What are you doing here? What task did Zero assign to you?”
The answer came promptly.
“Guarding the seal.”
“A seal? What seal are you talking about?”
“The seal of the Gate.”
The Hero froze.
“…The Gate? Are you talking about that Gate, the one that led to the destruction of the First Era?”
Scenes from Zero’s memories flashed through his mind.
The ominous clusters of magic and dreadful monsters… the giant red rift that spewed out the Seven Demons and the Demon King.
Izaro nodded.
“That’s right. Why do you think there’s only one Gate?”
The Hero was speechless.
Izaro looked at him with sunken eyes.
“Have you ever seen a fox digging only one burrow?”
The sudden question made the Hero tilt his head.
But Izaro didn’t expect an answer; he continued speaking directly.
“Zero was always anxious.”
Before the Hero could ask what about, Izaro turned around abruptly and looked at him.
Clunk-
A foamy wave crashed white behind the old man.
They had reached the coast without realizing it as they walked.
“I’m talking about you.”
“……”
“Especially towards the end, Zero’s anxiety grew uncontrollably. Even though death came earlier than expected, you were incomplete.”
Because Zero had violated many taboos in his lifetime, he couldn’t enjoy the life span of an archmage.
Therefore, the task of completing the homunculus fell to Depikio Lugo.
‘Depikio always tried to instill human kindness in me. It must have been Zero’s orders.’
Originally, Zero didn’t trust him.
As the Hero recalled these events, he finally understood Izaro’s analogy of the fox and the burrow.
“Zero had prepared other contingencies. This Gate here is one of them.”
“That’s right. You had a high probability of success, but it was extremely dangerous.”
For a moment, Izaro’s head turned to the east.
“Demons.”
“……”
“Evil beings who harbor an endless desire to exterminate any life other than their own.”
Was it because of Zero’s wishes?
The Hero felt a deep anger in Izaro’s voice, which overlapped with the image of Zero embracing his dead wife and crying in the ruins.
“Zero was convinced of the existence of their opposites.”
“Such a conjecture isn’t entirely absurd. Since there was divine power in the First Era.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t just a delusion. In the end, Zero succeeded in meeting their opposites, the Celestials.”
The Hero stared at Izaro for a moment.
He looked back at the Hero with an indifferent expression.
“…Yes?”
“What?”
“Isn’t this a joke?”
“A joke?”
The corners of Izaro’s eyes faintly creased.
The Hero realized belatedly that it was a smile.
Was Zero really like that?
“So, do you really believe in the existence of Celestials, the opposite beings to demons? It’s hard to believe.”
“There are all sorts of beings on the other side of the Gate. Including shapeshifters like doppelgangers.”
“Really?”
“Did you think that a life form that can transform into anything is a creature unique to this world?”
…What is he talking about?
It was at that moment that the Hero, who had been trying not to be swept away by the flood of information, noticed something strange.
“But I’ve never heard of Celestials before.”
The Hero’s gaze sank.
Zero opened the Gate to the Celestial Realm.
But now that Gate was sealed, and the Celestials had disappeared.
And… Izaro said he was the guardian of that seal.
“What problem has arisen?”
“I should have suspected the extraction of divine power from humans.”
“……”
” ■■■, do you think the absolute good is truly on the side of humans?”
Before the Hero could respond, Izaro spoke again.
“Seeing is believing.”
“…Yes?”
“It’s better to see it once than to hear it a hundred times.”
“Are you serious?”
Izaro’s hand emitted a blue ripple.
The Hero looked at the portal in front of him with sunken eyes.
“Come, let’s go to the Gate.”
Izaro whispered.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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