179. Auror (1)
#179
“Ugh…”
Ronan opened his eyes. It was dark everywhere. No matter how hard he blinked, he couldn’t see, so for a moment he thought he was blind.
What cleared up the misunderstanding was a thin, red ray of light cutting through the darkness. Ronan soon realized that it was the setting sun seeping through the cracks in the rocks.
‘Did it crash?’
I had no memory of being hit by Darman’s kick. There was no smell, perhaps due to the blood pooling behind his nose. Every time he took a deep breath, a mixture of saliva, blood, and gastric juice flowed down his chin. I’m lying down now.
“···Fuck.”
Ronan cursed. It didn’t take long to adjust to the darkness. As I looked around, I saw rocks covering everywhere. Is this what it would feel like to be trapped alive in a stone tomb? I was lucky that I didn’t look like a mouse that got stepped on by a carriage, so it seemed like some rocks had acted as supports and created space.
“Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu….”
Suddenly, a pain that felt as if his entire body was being squeezed out like a rag hit Ronan. It felt like a piece of broken bone was piercing my internal organs. This was really dangerous. Ronan, who was rummaging through her inner pockets while she was lying down, let out a self-mocking laugh.
“It’s crazy…”
Only a cut wound remained on his hand, which had come out of his inner pocket. Varen’s special potion, which he carried for mourning, was completely shattered and turned into shards of glass. Ronan was well versed in desperate situations, but I thought this was a bit harsh.
‘It’s difficult like this. ‘You have to recover first.’
Ronan made a quick decision and closed his eyes. In order to do anything, I first had to improve my physical condition at least a little. He concentrated his mind and began to circulate the mana collected in his heart throughout his body. It was an emergency treatment that I had once learned at Phileon.
‘Fucked. ‘One o’clock is urgent.’
Ronan chewed his lower lip. Although it was the best decision in the current situation, self-repair took a long time and did not have enough healing power to cure the serious injury. Moreover, I had a hard time concentrating because all kinds of random thoughts were cluttering my head.
“Lin…”
He twisted his lips as he remembered Rin’s sacrifice. She was stabbed with her sword on Ronan’s behalf. Rin’s body, which was rolling around on the floor and moaning, was extremely thin.
I had to get out of here quickly, even if only for revenge. Then, this time, the moment when I was fighting Darman suddenly came to mind, interrupting my concentration.
It was a clear defeat. Ronan had to admit that the bastard who claimed to be his brother was a cut above him. Of course he had to take into account the fact that he couldn’t focus on the fight because of his shitty family problems.
‘He was strong and intelligent. They’re the most fucked up type.’
The scene where Jaifa was stabbed was still vivid in my eyes. The heads of the elders soaring into the air. It was clear that Darman was looking for the moment when they were weakened by the ritual.
But even taking all that into account, it was something that couldn’t be accomplished with average skills. I was wondering where a guy like that suddenly appeared. I never thought there would be such a strong person, aside from the people I saw in the mental world that day. Suddenly, what Darman said during the battle flashed through my mind.
– I’ll offer you one more time once things are settled. Enter Lycopos.
Ronan frowned. At the time, I responded with a sword and told him to stop talking bullshit and lick my dick, but it was definitely a word I had heard somewhere before. After searching through his memory, he finally succeeded in recalling the source of the word.
‘Definitely in the desert at that time…’
The location is the heart of Dainhar. The speaker was Bishop Teranil. After receiving serious injuries from Ronan, he threatened to say that Lycophos would come after you.
It was said to be Nebula Clazier’s sharpest sword. My guess is that it was like a special organization where assassins or the strongest warriors in Nebula Clage gathered. Ronan suddenly noticed that the wounds from Darman’s sword were the same as those left on the corpses of the massacred Dawn Troop members.
“···This bastard was also an accomplice.”
Only then did I understand that so many elite troops had been helplessly wiped out. For a guy like that to appear along with the Explosion Sword, it must have been impossible for them. After confirming that his body had recovered to a minimum, Ronan raised his upper body.
“Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”
I had to grit my teeth against the overwhelming pain. Every time I moved, a sound like a tree branch breaking came from all over my body. Ronan, who barely managed to sit down, cursed.
“Fuck… this is too sharp.”
Now it was time to move on to the next step. It would have been possible to escape by cutting down rocks of this size. Fortunately, I felt the hilt of a sword being held in my right hand. It seemed like he didn’t miss it even though he was falling down and shaking like crazy. Ronan’s face suddenly crumpled as he looked down.
“Fuck you.”
La Mancha was destroyed. About half of the sword body, which had been torn apart, was missing.
Only then did Ronan remember that he had blocked Darman’s kick with Lamancha’s sword. Thanks to that, he was able to save his life. He hurriedly tried to feed him the blood that had flowed from his body, but the cracks formed and his spirit revived, but the missing parts did not grow back.
‘When will I find this again?’
This was just too much. I would have found the parts that came off and glued them back together, but I didn’t have time for that right now. After a short period of thought, Ronan made a decision and switched cores. Sparkling mana began to flow onto his shoulders.
“okay. “Let’s take a look somewhere.”
They would be able to escape by activating Terranil’s auror, the shockwave. Of course, if a landslide occurred or a tall rock fell on my head, I would be riding a carriage straight to the underworld, but now was not the time to consider such things one by one. It was the moment when he was about to manifest his auror. A familiar voice came from behind.
“It’s reckless.”
“······!”
Goosebumps appeared all over my body. Ronan turned his head towards her almost reflexively. A familiar face caught her eye. Lin was squatting next to her bed, staring at her.
“···Lin?”
Rin waved his hand as if responding. Ronan’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Her abundant white hair was flowing down to the floor.
“You’re hurt a lot. It must hurt…”
Lin was trying to calmly offer comfort. Ronan stretched out his arms and pulled her into his arms. The pain in her body was forgotten in an instant. Rin, who was dumbfounded by her sudden action, chuckled.
“That’s bold. “Please do it a little faster.”
“Are you okay?”
Ronan pulled away and grabbed Rin’s shoulders. No matter how much I looked at it, Lin was right. She apparently thought she was dead at the time. Rin’s mouth pouted when she heard those words.
“No way. “Does this look okay?”
She stretched out her index finger and poked Ronan’s forehead. It was only then that Ronan noticed that Lin’s chest was stained red. There was a gaping hole where Darman’s sword had pierced. It was an unrealistically severe injury with a clear view of the other side. Ronan, who looked at her wounds and Rin’s face alternately, opened her mouth.
“···how?”
“It was a body that was put together to the best of its ability, but it turned out to be unfortunate. Still, I have no regrets.”
Lin shook his head. Ronan frowned at her after hearing an inexplicable sound. A body out of nowhere? She grunted and continued her words.
“By the way, you haven’t answered my question yet.”
“question?”
“huh. “I asked you if you wanted it.”
At that time, Ronan noticed that Lin’s body was slightly transparent. Her hair was also shining softly, and it seemed as if she was seeing her spirit.
For a moment, I remembered the conversation I had with Lin right before Darman’s attack. She talked about the Holy Sword. Ronan narrowed her brows as she remembered the hypothesis she had made at the time.
“you···.”
“I don’t have time. “See it for yourself and judge for yourself.”
Suddenly, Rin held out his hand as if to shake hands. Ronan held her fern-like hand as if he was fascinated by something about her. For a moment, a fantasy rushed into her mind like a wave. It was the same feeling as when she held the sword spirit summoned to the sacred place.
‘what···!’
A black dragon was roaring in the middle of the wilderness. Like Sita, the two pairs of wings were so large that they covered the entire field of vision. Its neck, bent like a swan, was higher than the walls of the empire.
It wasn’t difficult to guess the dragon’s identity. I had only seen it in pictures or storybooks, but it was my first time seeing it in person. Ronan unconsciously recited the name of the evil creature.
“Orsay.”
It was a demonic dragon that had reigned in the center of the continent for over a thousand years. Countless soldiers were rushing towards Orsay. A man holding a pure white sword was leading the way on a horse. The flags that rose up throughout the army depicted a falcon, the symbol of the Balon Empire.
The dragon spread its four wings and spewed fire towards them. It was a situation where at least thousands of people were on the verge of being turned into ashes. Just as the torrent of flames was about to engulf the soldiers, the man leading him swung his sword sharply. Quaaaaa! The fire split on both sides as if it were firewood, and a road leading to Orsay appeared. The demon dragon shouted in a loud voice.
【Do mortals dare to challenge me!】
“Yaaaaaa!”
Instead of answering, the man let out a harsh roar. Orsay breathed fire again, but the pure white sword cut even that off. Ronan suddenly saw the man’s face and froze. The young man who faced the dragon looked very similar to Balon 44, whom he had had an audience with not long ago.
“That person…!”
“that’s right. “It’s Balon.”
Lin’s voice came from somewhere. The moment Orsay and Balon clashed, the place changed. It was a sacred place for Farzan that he was familiar with. A sword was stuck under a night sky so brilliant that it was overflowing with stars. It was all white and black, just like the one held in Balon’s hand.
“It was the place where I ran away because I was disappointed with Balon. “I think it was not a bad decision.”
Time passed quickly with Lin’s words. The sun and moon rose and set thousands of times. Before I knew it, a building where the elders lived was built on the outskirts of the crater where the light pooled. The souls of the sword that remembered their owner grew up one by one next to the white sword.
How many times have the seasons changed like that? Suddenly, the white sword shimmered and changed into the shape of a girl. Her new white and voluminous hair resembled the color of her sword body. The girl, who pulled out a random sword around her and put it on her back, turned her head. A familiar face appeared to her. She said as she squatted down out of nowhere, looking at her Ronan.
“thief.”
“what?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. The surrounding landscape had suddenly turned into a familiar village. Ronan, standing in the center of Gran Farzan, held a colorful dagger in his hand. He said, facing Rin.
“···You are the holy sword.”
“huh. It’s a shame. “I wanted to go to the academy you mentioned.”
“Can’t I go now?”
“It’s not that, but I wanted to enjoy it in a human body. “Eat, drink, and touch it yourself.”
“You’re an impure little boy.”
Ronan chuckled. Lin insisted that she was a lady, not a kid. Meanwhile, her body was becoming increasingly blurry. Ronan, sensing that her time was running out, opened her mouth.
“Holy sword. I’ll have it. “I don’t like the expression ‘having,’ so let’s just go together.”
“An excellent choice.”
“Fuck, I have some hope now. “Then, will I become as strong as Balon?”
“I can’t guarantee that it depends on your potential. “If there is no foundation left, there may not be much change.”
Lin explained that all he can do is bring out the user’s potential. She said worriedly as she looked Ronan up and down her.
“And your physical condition is very bad right now. This is a situation that requires sufficient rest and treatment. “If you wake up your sleeping power prematurely, something could go wrong.”
“Don’t worry about that. Because it’s okay.”
“You are so amazing. “Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
Lin tilted his head. The bright eyes seemed to say that this was the first time they had seen someone like you. Ronan spat out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth and answered harshly.
“Why wouldn’t you do that? “It’s fucking scary.”
“But why are you doing this? “You already knew that the boy named Darman was stronger than you.”
“Nothing much.”
Ronan staggered to his feet. It’s not a lie, right now, I felt like I would lose even if I were to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Asher. As Rin said, he attacked Darman even though he knew he would lose. There was no particular reason. Ronan took a deep breath and continued.
“I just did it because I had to.”
“Hmm.”
Lin laughed. She had a pretty expression on her face. Her body, which had become increasingly blurry, began to emit bright light.
“Ugh…!”
Ronan raised his hand and covered his eyes. The light soon subsided. When she opened her eyes again, Lin’s figure had disappeared from nowhere.
“Rin?”
No answer came back. However, Ronan realized that his body no longer hurt. The wounds that covered her entire body had disappeared as if they had been washed away. He looked down at his right hand and sucked in a breath.
“This···.”
La Mancha had been completely restored. However, the sword body that filled the place where it was broken and lost was as brilliant white as Rin’s hair. She looked as if light had grown out of the shadows. A familiar voice echoed in Ronan’s silent head.
[After all, I have eyes for people.]
Ronan silently grabbed the hilt of his sword. Strength was returning to his limbs. I felt my heart beating at the same rate as the day I faced Ahayute. A brilliant ray of light leaked through the cracks in the rock that covered him.
