Chapter 63
The bastard's flesh floats up in pieces like ash.
Fluttering as it rises, his flesh radiates a vast silver light and condenses into a single form.
'The feeling is good.'
The purity of the divine power contained within.
Even the storm-like surging momentum.
Callias, whose bangs fluttered in the fierce gale, should have had stinging eyes, yet he couldn't take his eyes off it for even a moment.
During the three days spent at the holy ground, whenever there was a chance, he gathered the holy ground's divine power and infused it into the military commander's flesh.
Perhaps because of that, the transformation into a sword was quite dazzling.
The sword floating and emitting intense light.
Callias grabbed the sword wrapped in a cluster of silver light in midair without hesitation.
Snatch.
As he grasped the sword, the silver divine power transformed into butterflies and flew away, revealing a sleek sword.
A straight, extended blade.
However, it's not as long as a Strong Divine Sword.
Though it's a double-edged sword, it's a size that can be handled with one hand without any problem.
The appropriate weight and grip feel weren't bad at all.
A well-balanced longsword.
The pattern on the refined crossguard is rustic but has its own elegance.
"Worth looking forward to."
A subtle reddish tinge lingers on the blade.
A slightly murky red.
It's disappointing, but the military commander's sword is a Spirit Sword.
However, the bizarre pattern like flames is incredibly stylish.
The more flashy the pattern on the blade, the higher its grade.
[Overlord Sword - Karaktu]
Grade - Spirit
Imbued Soul - Karaktu
Innate Ability - Gravity.
The attached modifier is Overlord.
The innate ability is none other than gravity!!
"I didn't expect gravity to be attached to a Spirit Sword."
Callias's face lit up with joy beyond compare.
"Overlord Sword, huh. Let's see if its ability is as grand as its name."
Callias, who dashed out of the holy ground like an excited child, stood still for a moment with the sword in hand.
Then, he cut his palm with the Overlord Sword - Karaktu and shed a few drops of blood.
-Grrrr.
The jackals of the abyss began to gather. Red glowing eyes revealed themselves one by one in the darkness, and having smelled the blood, they drooled viscous saliva.
"Lugaru."
And nameless demonic beasts.
Just from shedding a few drops of blood, they're swarming in packs.
It must be because Callias's presence is meager due to wearing Bibi's bracelet.
Bastards who wouldn't even dare approach due to his aura normally have all come rushing out.
So-called scavengers of the abyss.
'Ten, twenty, thirty.'
In an instant, over forty of them swarmed in.
Normally, he would have frowned at these annoying bastards, but not now.
To test the sword's performance, there's nothing better than these guys.
"Come."
Soon, silver divine power envelops Callias's entire body.
At the same moment the Overlord Sword flashed.
Kuuung-!!
The space around him sank downward.
* * *
Trudge, trudge.
"Have you arrived, my lord?"
"Yeah."
Seeing Callias's expression as he walked out of the Sunken Forest, Brans tilted his head and followed him.
"Looks like something good happened?"
"There is. A very good thing."
Seeing Callias raising the corners of his mouth with a grin, Brans was surprised anew.
Since there were rarely things that would make Callias so happy and pleased, Brans wondered what could make him that happy.
"What is it? Didn't you say you were going to the bottom of the Sunken Forest... By any chance, do you have a lover hidden there?"
"Brans."
"Yes, my lord."
"Why are you alive?"
"When you say such things so suddenly, I'm not sure what to say..."
"You survived quite well during the war."
"Isn't it all thanks to your teachings and the sword you gave me, my lord?"
He still had it?
I just gave him a dagger I didn't need while roughly killing orcs, but he must have treasured it since it was sparkling.
"Fist fighting suits you better than a sword."
"Hehe, in my youth, with these fists? I used to knock down beautiful women too."
"Did you commit a sex crime?"
"N-no! I beat up some punk who was acting like a jerk! And then she said she was grateful and threw herself at me saying she'd thank me with her body! At that time, I thought I was pretty cool myself. So I said, 'You'll regret it, but are you sure?'"
"......So what happened then?"
"Well, of course... hehehe."
Seeing his lecherous laugh, it was a story that would only rot my ears if I listened.
'What bad luck.'
Something was unlucky.
"But compared to you, my lord, I couldn't even show my face. You possess looks and martial prowess incomparable to the likes of me. Kya, if I were like you, my lord, the women I'd have knocked down would be enough to circle the walls of Jaibarshu and then some."
"Vulgar. Brans."
Women, huh.
Callias briefly recalled the past.
Living in this world, there had never been a good thing from getting entangled with women.
Since it's a world where you kill or be killed.
When he first set out on the pilgrimage, there were quite a few people who wanted to kill Callias.
There were many men, but even more women.
True to his nature as the cult's prodigal son, whatever he did to the cult's women, they all came gnashing their teeth wanting to kill Callias.
Even that quiet Esther came looking to kill him, didn't she?
'There was even a time I almost died from eating poison.'
She said she'd treat me to a meal, I refused, and when I told her to at least eat some bread before going, I ate it and nearly bid farewell to this world.
At that time, I had no power and didn't know the cruelty of the world well, so if it weren't for the help of a passing woman, I would have died right then.
'I wonder what she's doing now.'
When there were only women trying to kill him.
The only woman who helped Callias.
"Hehe. But what good thing happened in the end?"
"Do you want to know? You'll regret it."
"Are you going to cut me?"
"I won't cut you."
"Then there's nothing to regret!"
Callias drew his sword.
It was the Overlord Sword - Karaktu.
"Oh! Did you get a new sword? Just looking at it, there's an incredible aura... urgh!"
Brans, who tried to touch the sword once, crumpled to the ground.
"C-Callias-nim... p-please save... gasp!!"
"I told you you'd regret it."
Overlord Sword - Karaktu.
True to its innate ability of gravity, it manipulates gravity within a ten-meter radius of Callias.
'Manipulation types are rare.'
Taking the Lightning Sword as an example, it's an elemental type.
However, just because it spouts lightning from the sword doesn't mean you can control it.
But manipulation-type swords are different.
If the Overlord Sword's innate ability were lightning and it was a manipulation type, it could freely control the lightning in the sky.
'Of course, if it were a true lightning attribute manipulation type, it could only be used on stormy days when thunderbolts are striking.'
Unlike elemental types, manipulation types cannot generate their element.
Therefore, gravity manipulation types are inevitably rare.
Because gravity exists everywhere.
"It's an amazing sword!"
"But there are also drawbacks."
"Eh? What is it?"
"The fact that this sword is a Spirit Sword is a drawback."
It's a good sword.
However, the fact that its grade stops at Spirit is this sword's fatal flaw.
If this sword had been an Illusion Sword, Callias wouldn't have called it a drawback.
"The grade is Spirit Sword, but the innate ability and type are no different from that of an Illusion Sword."
Thus, inevitably, limitations followed in using powerful abilities.
First of all, the divine power consumption rate was enormous, naturally.
That was to be expected, and since there was usually divine power stored in the bracelet, using it when needed wasn't a big problem.
The problem was.
"The intensity of gravity is weaker than expected."
A narrow manipulation radius was understandable. However, the weak intensity couldn't be dismissed so easily.
"It's weak?"
"Your body is just a little more trained than an ordinary person's. If it were a truly proper ability, you'd already be dead."
"Eh?! You mean you didn't hold back because you treasured me?!"
"......"
Brans fell into great shock.
But Callias didn't care.
"I wondered why it was called the Overlord Sword."
If clashing with knights of the same rank, they wouldn't think of it as the sword's ability.
'Fighting spirit.'
They would mostly think it was tremendous fighting spirit.
"But then, my lord."
"What."
"But why did you look like you were in a good mood?"
From what we've heard so far, you absolutely shouldn't be in a good mood.
Hardship, hardship. If the sword made from the flesh of the military commander he defeated after suffering like a dog had a shabby ability.
He should naturally be angry.
But Callias's expression coming out of the forest was quite good.
Seeing that face, wasn't it Brans who asked if something good happened?
"If the Overlord Sword's ability was only that. As you said, my mood would have been bad."
When he used it on the jackals of the abyss.
At first, he was hugely disappointed.
But when he swung the sword at the bastards rushing in while overcoming the gravity.
Callias was filled with ecstasy.
Overlord Sword.
This sword, surprisingly, could manipulate the gravity of the body parts it cut.
Even with a slight wound, if cut by the Overlord Sword, the gravity of that area could be manipulated at Callias's will.
Of course, there was a limit to the intensity of gravity.
'In a desperate battle, if one's own arm or leg became heavy, most would panic.'
And panic in battle leads to death.
Not bad.
No, it's very good.
What if he used Fire of Destruction with this sword?
What if he used White Claw?
If he just creates very minor wounds, the opponent's body becomes several times heavier, and the more they fight, the more he seizes the upper hand.
"If you want, I'll show you directly."
"I-I'm fine!"
"No, you have to experience it firsthand to know the greatness of this sword..."
The moment Callias was about to slightly cut Brans's leg with the Overlord Sword.
"M-My lord!! There's someone over there!"
At Brans's hurried shout, Callias also flinched and glared at the figure standing in the shade of a tree.
"Callias. Long time no see, right?"
"Who are you?"
Because of the tree shade, the face wasn't clearly visible.
"Have you already forgotten me? This is too disappointing. You owe me a debt, you know."
"Debt?"
At the word debt, Callias's brows furrowed. And then he let out a small exclamation.
"Ah."
The hair of the woman who came out of the shade sparkled in the sunlight.
Red hair that seemed aged like red wine.
Neatly tied half-up hair.
Light armor and a pair of swords crossed at her lower back.
"Helena."
"I've come to collect the debt. Callias."
Pilgrim Helena.
Daughter of the Bolivian family, and the person who would offer money and her sword for Carpe, who had walked the path of a ruined nation until the very end.
Helena de Bolivian.
Three years ago.
The sucker who saved Callias and even got ripped off of money came looking for him again on her own feet.