Bonus chapter thanks to '@Frozendeagon' for subscription to 'Sorrow' tier on Ko-fi.Sorrow and the Undead Knight (2)
A space engulfed in blue lightning.
After completely drawing Sorrow from its sheath, the first thing I activated was 'Extrasensory.'
"Sorrow, awaken."
-Kiiiiiik!!As I gripped the trembling hilt and recited the activation chant, Sorrow let out a monstrous roar once more.
Behind the deafening shriek, I heard familiar mechanical sounds.
-Ding!
[Divine Artifact 'Sorrow,' Unique Skill 1, 'Extrasensory' has been activated.]
[※ Maximum duration of Extrasensory is 10 minutes. ※]
[Remaining Duration: 9 minutes 58 seconds]
My senses, dulled by fatigue, snapped open fiercely.My blurry vision cleared, and the flow of the turbulent atmosphere became vividly clear on my skin.
Even the faintest sounds, inaudible just moments ago, were now reaching my ears.
"Haa... Haa..."
I exhaled deeply at the invigorating energy flooding my senses.
A deep blue aura flickered around my body.
Perhaps because I was fully wielding Sorrow, the effects of Extrasensory seemed far more potent than usual.
For a moment, I gazed at Sorrow, radiating explosive energy, then quickly collected myself and shifted my gaze towards the enemies.
"..."
My eyes met the Undead Knight, frozen like statues.
The one who appeared to be the leader stared at me silently, then quietly spoke.
"A Divine Artifact... and a rather high-ranking sword at that."
As expected, he recognized it immediately.
I frowned, letting out a low groan.
Well, it would be stranger if he didn't notice, considering the grand show it was putting on.
"Haa..."
This was exactly why I tried to avoid drawing it from its sheath if possible.
I sighed and surveyed the surroundings.
Fortunately, the dense forest seemed to have masked the unique energy signature of the Divine Artifact, preventing it from leaking outwards.
It shouldn't be visible from afar.
That's a small relief.
Things would definitely get complicated if others were to find out.
"The atmosphere has shifted. This will be interesting."
"What are you babbling about, you rotten corpse?"
The undead sneered, their eyes fixated on me with a chilling glint.
I raised my middle finger towards their hateful gazes and started manipulating my status window.
"Store, buy the special effects 'Pain Oblivion' and 'Iron Body'... and three bottles of 'Intermediate Mana Potion.'"
-Ding!
[Purchase complete.]
[Total Points Spent: 1050P]
-Ding!
[Special Effect 'Pain Oblivion' activated.]
[All physical pain will be reduced by 99% for the next 30 minutes.]
-Ding!
[Special Effect 'Iron Body' applied.]
[Your physical condition will be enhanced to its peak for the next 20 minutes.]
[However, after the effect's duration, you will receive 3 times the accumulated damage.]
My entire body, ravaged by exhaustion and injuries, was instantly revitalized by the special effects.
The bleeding from my wounds stopped, and my weary muscles began to swell.
Simultaneously, the pain vanished, and the warning signals my body had been screaming were silenced.
"Finally, some relief..."
It was a hefty price to pay in points, but I brushed it off, considering it a worthy investment.
I chugged down the mana potions that materialized in front of me.
-Ding!
['Intermediate Mana Potion' consumed.]
[Depleted mana partially restored.]
[Skill 'Short Range Teleportation (Blink)' charges replenished: 6 charges.]
Not only had I recovered my physical condition, but I had also partially restored my Blink charges.
This was a fight I could handle, even with the limited time.
I took a light step forward and assumed my stance.
The jet-black blade of Sorrow pointed towards the knights.
Panic flickered across their faces.
It seemed they were surprised to see me perfectly fine after I was just barely holding on.
Ignoring their reactions, I shattered the tense silence that had settled over the battlefield.
-Kwaang!
The ground caved in where I stood as I kicked off.
My body shot forward like a bullet, aimed at the undead.
One of the knights reacted to my surprise attack and intercepted me, thrusting a massive shield forward.
He seemed intent on meeting my charge head-on.
A smirk played on my lips.
You're going to regret that decision.
-Sswaeeeeeek!!
As my blade sliced through the air and clashed against the shield, I locked eyes with the knight's barely visible face and roared,
"Die...!"
The instant Sorrow was swung, a beautiful silver line etched itself onto the air.
For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to slow down.
The dazzling strike captivated everything in sight, painting a mesmerizing spectacle.
The captivating scene reached its climax as the shield was cleaved in two, like a melon sliced by a hot knife, and the knight behind it was bisected along with it.
Moments later, the undead, severed in half, collapsed onto the ground.
-Thud...
The belated sound of the cut echoed gracefully.
It was a sound that sent shivers down one's spine.
Without hesitation, I took another step forward.
My next target was the archer positioned behind the shield-bearer.
The archer, shocked at my swift approach, frantically drew his bowstring.
-Twang, Shwooosh!
The arrow, loosed from the bow, came hurtling towards me, aiming for my neck.
However, I had no intention of blocking it.
I simply reached out.
The feeling of omnipotence emanating from Sorrow filled me with confidence.
I felt like I could easily catch even such an arrow now.
-Crack!
"......?!"
As I snatched the incoming arrow out of the air, the archer stumbled back in astonishment.
I reversed my grip on the arrow and plunged it into the face of the retreating archer.
-Kwaduk!!
The arrow pierced through the gap in his helmet, finding its mark with deadly accuracy.
I could feel the archer's eyeball being crushed and his brain being pierced through my fingertips.
With a shallow breath, I kicked away the twitching armor, sending his body crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
"...Ha."
Barely 20 seconds had passed.
I still had about 9 minutes left before the Extrasensory wore off.
I nonchalantly kicked away the archer's head, which had rolled to my feet, and glared at the remaining knights.
Their eyes burned with intensified murderous intent.
Wiping off the rotten blood splattered on my cheek, I declared,
"No time to waste... Let's finish this quickly."
And with that, I charged at the knights.
They met my advance, brandishing their weapons.
For a while, the forest echoed with the deafening clash of steel and the rustling of undergrowth.
***
Meanwhile, a few minutes before the full-fledged battle began.
Lucy and Aron were galloping through the forest, riding alongside the canyon of the Mutan River.
"Raiden! Raiden! Answer me if you can hear me!"
Lucy shouted desperately, pouring all her emotions into her voice.
But no matter how many times she called out to the boy, only the cold wind answered.
Lucy tightened her grip on the reins, trying to suppress the growing unease within her.
Just then, Aron, who was riding beside her, pointed to a spot in the canyon and exclaimed,
"Your Highness! There's someone up ahead!"
"Where?!"
Lucy reacted quickly, her gaze following the direction Aron's finger was pointing.
About 100 meters ahead, she saw a lone girl sitting on the ground.
"Is that...?"
Through the unclear silhouette, she could faintly make out silver hair.
The moment she saw it, Lucy realized that the girl was Margaret.
"It's Lady Phyler! Everyone must be around here somewhere!"
"I don't see any other members... but let's go and check."
They steered their horses towards Margaret.
As they drew closer, their horses slowed down and came to a stop in front of the girl.
Lucy was the first to jump off her horse, followed by Aron and the escort knights.
"Lady Phyler!"
"Student Margaret!"
Margaret was sitting frozen on the edge of the canyon cliff, staring blankly into the abyss.
Lost in thought, she seemed completely oblivious to Aron and Lucy's approach.
"Lady Phyler! Snap out of it!!"
Lucy shook Margaret's shoulder, pulling her back to reality.
Margaret finally reacted, her eyes widening as she saw the people who had suddenly appeared.
"Your Highness...? And Professor Aaron...?"
"Yes, it's us, Student Margaret."
"What are you two doing here...?"
"We came as soon as we confirmed that Group 4's communication had been cut off. Where are the other members?"
Aron asked, looking around and confirming that Margaret was alone.
Margaret trembled as she lowered her head in response.
"Student Margaret...?"
"...We were... attacked."
The words that escaped the girl's lips were nothing short of shocking.
"Attacked?!"
"Damn it, I knew it... Did you see who it was?"
Aron, who had already suspected as much, calmly asked for further explanation.
However, Margaret's answer startled even him.
"Undead... Undead Knight."
"Undead...?"
Aron frowned at Margaret's words.
Undead?
He hadn't sensed any trace of magical energy like that.
Aron realized that the situation might be even more serious than they had anticipated.
"Please tell us what happened in detail."
"..."
Margaret remained silent.
Unable to bear it any longer, Lucy, who had been listening to their conversation, interjected.
"What about Raiden... I mean, Young Master Lishite? Is he with the rest of the group?"
At the mention of the name "Raiden," Margaret's face turned deathly pale.
"Y-Young Master Lishite is..."
Her fingertips trembled.
Her crimson eyes lost their light, and her hands were clenched into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white.
Seeing Margaret's unusual behavior, Lucy had a sinking feeling that something was terribly wrong.
And unfortunately, her intuition proved to be accurate.
"He's... dead..."
Margaret's confession was followed by Lucy's stunned mutter.
"What...?"
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