[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

***

Chapter 332: A Farewell Upon Meeting

How much more time had passed?

While I was receiving lessons from the man of the highest caliber on the entire continent, having lost all track of time—

I finally came 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 me, of all people.

“Even if the state is the same, the accumulation of years is something that cannot be easily overcome,” 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 overcome the wall of the 7th-tier.

There are some 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 meteor 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 someone from Grunewald ever tried to consume 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 moment 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 me.”

I ignited the ancient black flame 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 me of today, it was not.

“……It’s done.”

The contingency prepared by the Black Society melted away into nothing.

‘If it were me now, I could have perceived even the explosive magic hidden within the barrier magic sealing Ereshkigal and destroyed it.’

That meant the reason I died was half the Dark King’s cunning, and half my own weakness for being unable to overcome it.

‘So you died because you were lacking, Karzan.’

In any case, after melting the poison within the Dragon Heart, I extracted it with the power of absorption. It formed 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 comes 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 immediately 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 seemed to be a state far from Mana Deviation.

‘Then what the hell is it? Is this just some 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 became audible.

‘What is that?’

I opened my eyes. The entire sky had become a pane of glass, reflecting something.

‘That is—’

A much younger version of my father, and my mother, were looking down at me.

‘Eh?’

My father picked me up and said.

“Lusatia, this child’s name will be Allenvert.”

……I see.

This was Allenvert’s childhood memory.

The memories that had vanished the moment I became aware of my reincarnation.

“Allen, come here. You must eat your meals, even if you don’t want to.”

“Young Master. It is time 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. Come 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 me.

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 memories.

‘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 me as you wish.”

“It’s a terrible fever. A single misstep, and he may never…….”

Allenvert’s time stopped. At the age of ten.

After that, it was exactly as written in the diary.

A life on borrowed time, merely 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 me this?”

“Yes.”

I turned around.

A thin, small boy, whose growth had stopped at the age of ten, was looking at me.

“Allenvert.”

……And.

A fierce-looking swordsman, on the cusp of forty, stood beside him.

“Karzan.”

The two memories, the two egos that comprised me, were looking at me.

“Then what am I?”

“You are you. And you are also us.”

Said the young Allenvert.

“But you are also neither. With two memories 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 sometimes a lunatic and other times a nobleman wasn't something you could achieve just by changing your attitude.”

Even young Allenvert nodded.

“Even from my perspective, you seemed a bit crazy.”

“……”

Hmm. Was I that bad?

“Your caliber has now become limitlessly high. High enough to merge two souls.”

Karzan pointed at me.

“Now, unite us who were separated. Just as you merge Brilliant Spirit Mana and Dark Soul Mana, as you merge the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique and the Silent Night Soul-Soaking Divine Art, as you merge yin and yang.”

Allenvert also spoke.

“Then, we will become 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 met.”

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 me.

“Let us begin. Close your eyes.”

……And when I opened them—

I had finally become a transcendent being.

* * *

“Allen!”

“Are you awake?”

“It’s not Mana Deviation, is it?”

The three of them asked urgently as they looked at me, now awake.

“……Father, Elders.”

I smiled, feeling a languor as if basking in the warm spring sun.

“Bring the Dark King before me right now. I will beat him like a dog and make him kneel.”

“……”

Unable to contain his bewilderment, my father muttered in a tone just like Venion’s.

“There he goes again.”

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]