LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 148
Late at night, I looked around, bathed in the pale moonlight. The sight of the forest turned upside down by the massive serpent filled my vision. Aside from the areas where the serpent-catching clan had finished their leveling work, everything else was a complete mess, making it hard to walk around properly.
I lowered my gaze to the two swords. The moment I sliced the enormous serpent, a faint divinity flowed from within its body and was absorbed by the sword. Compared to the divinity obtained from dealing with the Sea God, it felt like a drop in the bucket, but the change I felt right after absorbing this divinity was hard to ignore.
Squatting on the ground, I stroked a flower that was buried in the dirt. The nearly dead flower began to show a glimmer of life, pushing through the soil and lifting its head high. It shook its head as if searching for sunlight, welcoming the pale moonlight.
For now, I could only give this small flower a hint of vitality. However, I instinctively understood that if I grew stronger, I would be able to accomplish much greater feats.
“Seris! The meat is all grilled!”
I stood up at Yan’s call. It seemed that the ritual to honor those who had died in this fight was over.
As I approached Yan and sat down, a makeshift plate made of woven leaves was handed to me. On the plate lay well-grilled serpent meat.
The enormous serpent, possessing faint divinity, had transformed into food for the serpent-catching clan. I took a bite of the meat handed by Yan, and a small smile formed on my face. Even without much seasoning, it tasted surprisingly good.
The cool night breeze intertwined with the pale moonlight and the crackling bonfire. Shadows elongated and began to dance to the flickering light, while incomprehensible words flowed from the elves’ lips.
It was the elvish language, Galad.
Yan began to sing in harmony with the elves. The song of the serpent-catching clan was a dirge for those who had gone before and a cheer announcing the success of the hunt.
And thus, the night deepened.
*
In the late dawn, as the moon vanished and the sun began to rise, I woke up. The cool morning breeze brushed against my cheek. At that moment, the Nightmare that had been lying on the ground suddenly jumped up and approached me.
It seemed to notice that I was preparing to leave.
After confirming that Yan was still sound asleep, I was cautiously packing my things. A familiar presence approached me quietly.
When I turned my head slightly, I saw the exhausted-looking Nephel standing there, holding something long and black.
“Ms. Nephel?”
“Are you planning to leave?”
“Ah, yes. I had only intended to stay for one night, but now that it’s come to this, I don’t think I can stay any longer.”
As I replied, looking around at the mess I had created, Nephel let out a small laugh and a faint sigh.
“Yan will be disappointed.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I confirmed Yan was deeply asleep, then cautiously opened my mouth.
“Um, how did Yan end up growing up here?”
Yan was a human, not an elf. For a human child to be raised in a village full of elves meant there was an unspoken reason. Nephel hesitated for a moment before slowly continuing.
“It’s just a common story. A close friend asked me to take care of the child, and I ended up raising her like my own… Isn’t that something often found in old tales?”
“I see…”
“Well, by the way, where are you planning to go? I think you should tell Yan if she wakes up.”
“For now, I’m heading towards Trevel.”
“For now?”
“Adventure is something where you can’t guarantee what will happen later, right?”
“Ah, I understand.”
Nephel nodded at my response. He then threw something he had been holding to me. The two objects flew lightly through the air. They were elegantly shaped scabbards made of black scales.
“This is…”
“It should be much sturdier than what you’ve been carrying around.”
I received an unexpected gift. I looked at the crystal scabbard that Nightmare had made for me previously. Perhaps due to rough use, tiny cracks spread spiderweb-like across the crystal scabbard.
I pulled out the two swords from the crystal scabbard and inserted them into the new scabbards. At that moment, the crystal scabbard crumbled, leaving only a dusting of white powder as if it had fulfilled its purpose.
As I stared blankly at the powder carried off by the cool wind, I noticed a strange trembling beginning in the two scabbards into which the swords were inserted, and the color of the black scales started to change.
The scabbard holding the Ice Dragon Sword changed to a blue and white scale, while the scabbard holding the Fire Dragon Sword changed to a red scale. The transformed scabbards seemed to come alive, writhing and then expanding with a reinforced solidity.
“This is…”
The scabbards themselves radiated a strange spiritual essence. The moment I saw them, I realized. This scabbard itself was a magnificent weapon. How on earth did Nephel create such a thing in such a short time?
As I stared at Nephel with curious eyes, he concealed his trembling hands behind his waist and smiled faintly.
“I should at least do this for a benefactor of my clan, right?”
“You’re quite a master, then?”
“Right now, I’m just a father to a child.”
With that statement, silence fell. Wordlessly, I mounted Nightmare and pulled the bridle.
Nightmare advanced toward the forest path that had become a complete mess. The sounds of its hooves were buried in the dirt piles and couldn’t be heard. As the cool morning wind fluttered my cloak, Nightmare began to run.
The dawn was beginning. The soft darkness that had covered the sky gradually lifted, revealing brilliant light. When Nightmare and my shadow stretched long under the sunlight, I heard a familiar bird’s cry from behind me.
Tweet-tweet—!
Running endlessly along the steep cliffs of the canyon. I could have used the Sea God’s power to run over the water, but seeing the enormous monsters occasionally leaping out of the river made me forget that thought completely.
It was just after I had escaped the area where black serpents and gargoyles frequently appeared. Massive monsters were soaring through the immensely wide canyon. No, rather than flying in the sky like birds, they appeared to be floating due to some special power.
With umbrella-like round heads and long tentacle-like appendages hanging beneath, these monsters resembled jellyfish, looking more suited to the sea than the sky.
Filled with curiosity, I poked one of the nearby floating jellyfish. The soft head part squished in as its tentacles wobbled, but it didn’t resist or attempt to attack.
I grinned and pulled on the reins of Nightmare. Having aligned its heart with mine for a long time, Nightmare immediately understood my intent and jumped towards the jellyfish.
Nightmare’s hooves kicked off the jellyfish’s soft head, propelling us into the sky.
It felt like crossing a stepping stone bridge floating in the air. Nightmare also seemed to find the jelly’s wobbly texture amusing, swinging its tail around playfully.
How many days had passed since we’d been running along the canyon? The wide canyon began to descend, and the surrounding terrain slowly changed. The traces of the forest that had surrounded us began to disappear, revealing desolate plains.
The journey along the river that had continued through the canyon was coming to an end. This time, the compass pointing towards Trevel indicated the opposite direction.
*
About a week. That was how long it took for the surrounding terrain to completely change. The previously dense trees and lush fields had vanished completely.
In the late evening, as the sun simmered below the horizon, I climbed a high hill and opened my mouth in awe at the scene before me.
Endlessly stretched golden desert and a beautiful Milky Way connecting high into the sky took my breath away. Looking up at the sky in a daze, it felt as if the golden desert on the horizon might flip over, swapping the sky and ground.
It was then that a sandstorm began to swirl from a great distance, revealing something massive. At first, I thought it was a monster or perhaps a usual mirage seen in the desert. But no. My instincts told me that it was something with a clear reality.
A mirage could never move with such vivacity.
I marveled at the gigantic ship revealed through the swirling sandstorm. In this world, even the sand could allow for sailing.
Breaking into a light laugh, I pulled on Nightmare’s reins and chased after the massive ship, hoping that my voice would reach the people inside.
“Hey! Please stop for a moment!”
Coo-coo-coo-!
As the ship sped through the desert, kicking up a rough sandstorm, I felt a presence inside. A woman peeked her head out.
With cascading golden hair and an attractive face partially obscured by a black eye patch, a black tricorne hat perched on her head gave her a sharp impression.
“Merchants are not welcome!”
The woman shouted without even stopping the ship. It seemed like I must have looked like a wandering merchant to her, or perhaps she simply didn’t want to take me aboard.
I tugged on Nightmare’s reins, drawing out the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword, flinging them into the air. As the two flying swords became my stepping platform, Nightmare leaped onto the deck.
Tadak—!
With a light landing, I looked around. On the massive ship traversing the desert, there were a total of ten people, including the woman who appeared to be the captain.
They were all glaring at me, surprised by my sudden appearance, each drawing their weapons.
The woman who looked like the captain was no exception. The red coat she wore billowed dramatically. In a moment like this, my appearance needed to be my greatest weapon.
Smiling brightly, I waved my hand lightly, and the hostility that had been palpable around me dissipated in an instant.
“Can I hop on for a bit?”
The captain’s pondering lasted about ten seconds. Ultimately, I was granted permission to board. I immediately unloaded my gear and gave some water to Nightmare.