The Great Sword is not the Main Body!-Chapter 67: Variable (6)

"Master Alstein," it began. "The beast's presence has indeed become a variable."

"Because of that, foreign matter has entered the shell."

"Gahk—cough, huh—crack..."

"Why has the apocalypse vanished?"

"Why do you keep disappointing me?"

"Have I failed you in some way?"

"Huk—gulp...cough—sorry..."

"Are you going to apologize again?"

"Kheuk...hup...krrk...no, I am not..."

"You said you sent Kart, didn't you?"

"Yes...!"

"Did you bestow the 'blessing'?"

"Huh...black...as for the blessing, I thoroughly bestowed it."

"Understood."

"This time, although we must use the 'blessing' to retrieve the apocalypse..."

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"There will be no next time."

"...thank you...thank you."

"So, retrieve the apocalypse."

"Do not let it fall into the hands of arrogant challengers."

"Eliminate the variables."

"Absolutely."

"I understand..."

Hephaistos immediately jumped off my back and ran towards the sprawling roots at the peak.

"Hey, hey! That crazy Pinkie..."

Charlotte and Rubia followed suit.

I stood still and expanded my perception.

Navigating through roots bristling with thorns that seemed sharp enough to slice through anything, my perception continued through sticky fluids and the flesh of the beasts.

At the end of the roots, tangled in vines, was a person.

Suddenly, cries calling out Yuria's name echoed through Karahan.

Slowly, I examined Yuria's condition.

The first thing that came into focus was her faint, almost ceasing pulse.

Next were her flayed arms, twisted legs.

A punctured side, and a gash running from her right shoulder to her left thigh.

Though only perceived through my abilities, the extent of her injuries was horrific.

I took a deep breath and started walking.

Yuria, as I had seen her in the game, was strong.

Worthy of the name Druid, she freely manipulated plants, drawing vitality to heal her own body, and could summon animals she had bonded with from a pocket dimension, earning her the nickname of a one-person army.

Such an exemplary character, yet to have suffered to this extent...

Hephaistos's crying pierced my eardrums.

Rubia's divine power continuously flowed into Yuria's body, while Charlotte was furiously administering various potions.

"Huk... Yuria... please, please..."

Hephaistos, helpless, simply sat in front of Yuria, shedding tears.

Soon, Yuria's [N O V E L I G H T] pulse began to return.

The skin on her arms, which seemed about to fall off, began to mend, and her twisted legs slowly returned to their places.

The hole in her side was regenerating, albeit slowly, and the deep wound was also healing.

However, the group, absorbed in frantic healing efforts, seemed oblivious to the improving signs.

Thinking it best for her to recover quickly, I turned away without a word and expanded my perception further.

The headache I hadn't felt in a while began as I stretched my perception as wide as I could bear.

Without stopping, despite the pain suggesting my head might split open, I pushed on.

Blood surged back through my nose and mouth.

Still, I continued to extend my reach.

The sight at the midpoint emerged, along with dozens of adventurers.

None looked formidable.

Hastily, I let go of my sword handle, picking up leaves to meticulously clean off the blood.

"Ugh... ptui."

I spit out the pooled blood in my throat, turned back, and grabbed my sword handle.

Despite a slight aftereffect causing throbbing in my head, I endured and checked on Yuria again.

Certainly, now she looked somewhat more human.

Hephaistos's cries had quieted, and Rubia's divine power had also weakened. Charlotte was counting the cost of the potions she had used.

"It's fortunate. If it had been a little later..."

Seemingly due to leg pain, Rubia eventually sat down, comforting Hephaistos.

"Huh... uh... gasp... ugh... thank goodness... huff..."

Hephaistos's gentle hands tidied Yuria's disheveled hair.

"1523 gold... damn, this is bad... sigh."

Charlotte seemed truly troubled...

Behind the deep sigh, Yuria's raspy breathing could be heard.

"Haah... it seems she's finally regaining consciousness."

At last, Rubia let go and wiped off the sweat streaming down her neck.

I approached slowly and lifted her long hair, knowing from experience how much cooler it can make the nape of the neck.

"Ah... thank you, Noah. Huh, it's cool."

Turning her head to give me a grateful smile, Rubia relaxed and leaned heavily against my leg.

"You've worked hard, Ru... bia."

Despite the cold, she had sweated profusely, making the spot where her body touched mine quite damp.

However, it quickly dried, revitalized by her divine power.

Stealthily, I savored the sweet scent of Rubia's sweat mixed with her divine power, and I extended my perception to prepare for any unforeseen events.

"Water... some, please..."

After a long while, as Yuria shifted her body, her voice could be heard.

"Yuriaaaaaaaaa!! Waaaaah!"

Hephaistos burst into tears again.

"Yuria, you this bi... sigh, I'll precisely claim the cost for these potions... first, the top-grade potions, 19 bottles—"

Charlotte listed the potions she had used as she quickly grabbed and threw a water bottle.

"Ah... shit, really could have died. Cough... Kuh! Ha..."

After gulping down the water, Yuria began cursing as she rummaged through the tree roots.

"Yuria... Yuriaaaa..."

"Since when did this tiny thing... my,

cough—ha... call my name so casually? Huh? Wanna die?"

"Waaaaaaaaah! I love it... I've missed hearing it so much, sniff—sob..."

"Ugh, such a nuisance."

Pushing Hephaistos aside, Yuria soon withdrew her hand from the roots with a sigh of relief.

In her hand was an old book.

"So, why are you here?"

"Sob... came to see Yuria... thought something happened... sniff—gulp... sob, ugh..."

"I told you to stay at home... What, why is Charlotte here?"

Finally seeming to grasp the situation, Yuria, who had been rubbing her eyes, looked around again.

"My vision was so blurred... a... priestess...?"

"Ha ha... yes, hello. Sorry to greet you sitting down, but please understand, I'm quite exhausted..."

"Oh. No, I've been lying down all this time."

Yuria responded vehemently to Rubia's polite greeting, flailing her arms which made cracking sounds, yet she seemed unfazed and kept waving them.

And then.

"So... who's that behind you?"

Here it comes... My turn has finally arrived.

You can do this! Noah, you got this!

I had rehearsed a greeting in my mind since coming to Ursphere and slowly began to recite it.

"Ah, good day... I am Shin Noah, a gold-ranked adventurer...! I'm twenty years old... er... my career spans two, no... now three months... um, what else..."

Without warning... when my turn came, my brain froze. What to do...?

"Pfft—Pfuhahahahahah!"

As I sweated profusely trying to remember my prepared greeting, Rubia made a strange noise and shrugged her shoulders.

Laughing at me...

Bad Rubia!! Even if you can't help, don't laugh!!

"Noah... Noah... black hair, greatsword... ah."

As Yuria muttered my name, she raised an exclamation point over her head and continued.

"Vampire?"

...What?

"Vam, vampire...?"

"Kuhuhuhuhuuh... Phuhuh—hahahahahaha!"

Rubia, who had been holding back her laughter, finally burst out.

Charlotte and Hephaistos nodded as if agreeing.

After a while, when Rubia's laughter subsided, Yuria dusted herself off and stood up.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"Well... since I'm curious about many things, and you all must be too, it's dangerous to talk here, so I'll explain as we go down."

Then she tucked the old book back into the tree roots and looked over her tattered clothes.

"Ah shit. Charlotte, hand me a robe."

"Five gold."

"You crazy woman."

"One gold."

"I'll go naked."

"...damn."

Charlotte sighed and handed over a robe designed to impede recognition.

"Shall we get going then?"

Yuria, now covered in the robe, looked at us with a professional, welcoming smile.

"Hephaistos. Get up."

"Ouch! It hurts!"

"No whining."

Hephaistos was forcibly lifted by Yuria.

"So... Kart?"

As Charlotte walked ahead, puffing out smoke, she handed a cigarette to Yuria.

"Yeah. That damned bastard."

Yuria took the cigarette, lit it with a flick of her fingers, and inhaled.

Seems she can use simple magic...

"Huh—phew... Ah, that's good."

"Where did you run away from?"

"That way."

"Issela Forest?"

"Yeah. But I hid so well it'll take them a while to find me."

Chuckling, Yuria put the cigarette in her mouth and reached out to Hephaistos.

"Let's go, my baby."

Hephaistos, without saying a word, shyly reached out and held Yuria's fingertip.

"Shall we go too?"

Seeing that, or whatever, Rubia also reached out her hand to me.

"Damn it all, fuck."

Charlotte... threw the cigarette away and spat.

Somehow... it was a bit embarrassing to hold hands in such an atmosphere.

Just as I reached out to hold Rubia's hand—

A bone-chilling murderous intent was felt. My mind went blank. My body shivered coldly.

Biting down on my tongue to stay conscious, I drew my greatsword.

Tree roots wrapped around Hephaistos. Charlotte unleashed her magic power, raising her shield.

I sharpened my perception.

Head? Neck? Waist?

No.

This entire area.

I pushed Rubia away and swung my greatsword with all my might.

Crrraaang—!

Metal clashed with metal. The backlash tore through the skin.

Tree roots were crushed, and the shield burst.

Trees were uprooted, and rocks were split. The fierce wind pressure scattered all the leaves around, and even the clouds split, and the air evaporated.

"To receive my sword and still stand."

The skin on my hand holding the greatsword tore. Bones cracked and crumbled. My shoulder creaked, and my waist bent.

"Impressive."

Clink— the armor moved. A thin sword pushed my greatsword away. My legs bent. Blood poured from my eyes, nose, and mouth.

The sword was pushed back. Strength was pushed back. Momentum was pushed back.

Everything was pushed back.

"However."

The sword vanished.

Dispersed.

Turned into a flickering shadow.

And merged into my body.

Then—

Splaatt—

"It's just that."

Among the scattering blood droplets.

For eight years, never once defeated.

Beyond human limits.

A being itself known as a natural disaster.

The master.

The Black Knight Kart emerged.