Chapter 179: Aura (1)

Chapter 179: Aura (1)

"Ugh..."

Ronan opened his eyes. It was dark all around. No matter how much he blinked, he couldn't see anything in front of him, leading him to briefly wonder if he had gone blind.

What dispelled the thoughts were thin, crimson rays of light crossing through the darkness. Ronan soon realized that it was the setting sun seeping through the cracks in the rocks.

'Did I fall?'

He had no memory after being hit by Darman's kick. There was no smell, perhaps due to the blood pooling behind his nose. Each breath he took brought a mixture of saliva, blood, and gastric fluid trickling down his chin.

"...Shit."

Ronan cursed under his breath. It didn't take long to adjust to the darkness. Looking around, he saw the rocks surrounding him. It felt like being trapped in a stone tomb. Fortunately, some of the rocks seemed to serve as support, creating a space.

"Keuuuk..."

Suddenly, excruciating pain wracked Ronan's entire body, as if squeezing him like a rag. It felt like fragmented bones were piercing his organs. This was really dangerous. Ronan, who was rummaging through his pouch while lying down, let out a rueful laugh.

"This is a mess..."

In his hand, emerging from the pouch, were only the scars of shattered vials. The special potions from Varen that he always carried were completely destroyed, turned into glass shards. Ronan, who was well versed in desperate situations,, couldn't help but think this was a bit severe.

'I can't continue like this. I need to recover first.'

Ronan quickly made a decision and closed his eyes. In order to do anything, he needed to at least improve his physical condition a little. He concentrated his mind and began to circulate the mana gathered in his heart throughout his body. It was an emergency treatment method he had learned back in Philleon.

'This is bad. I'm in a hurry.'

Ronan bit his lower lip. While it was the best judgment given the current situation, self-recovery would take time, and his healing power was insufficient to recover from serious injuries. Moreover, various distracting thoughts cluttered his mind, hindering his concentration.

"Lynn..."

Thinking of Lynn's sacrifice, he twisted his lips. She had been stabbed with a sword in his place. Lynn's body, rolling on the ground, looked excessively slender.

He needed to get out of here quickly, even if it was to avenge her. However, at that moment, memories of his fight with Darman surfaced, disturbing his concentration.

It was a clear defeat. Ronan had to admit that the bastard claiming to be his brother was a step above him. Of course, he had to consider the distraction caused by the family issues, but still.

'He was strong and intelligent. The most despicable combination.'

The scene of Zaifa being struck by the sword still lingered in his mind, as did the heads of the elders soaring through the air. It was clear that Darman was aiming for the moment when they would be weakened by the ritual.

However, even considering everything, it was something that couldn't be done with just ordinary skills. It was puzzling where such a powerful opponent suddenly emerged from. Ronan had never thought he'd ever encounter such a strong person, aside from the people he saw in the Mental Realm. Then, Darman's words during the battle crossed his mind.

-When things settle down, I'll give you another chance. Join Lycopos.

Ronan frowned. At the time, he responded with a sarcastic remark, but it was clearly a word he had heard somewhere before. After searching through his memory, he finally succeeded in recalling the source of the word.

'It was definitely in the desert at that time...'

The location was the heart of Dainhar. The speaker was Bishop Teranlil. After suffering significant injuries from Ronan, he had threatened that Lycopos would come after him.

Did he say it was the sharpest sword of Nebula Clazier? Ronan speculated that it was a special group where assassins or the strongest warriors from Nebula Clazier were gathered. Suddenly, Ronan noticed that the wounds from Darman's sword were the same as those left on the corpses of the massacred Dawn Brigade members.

"...That bastard was an accomplice too."

Finally, it made sense why so many elite soldiers had been wiped out so helplessly. With the presence of such a figure alongside the Ferocious Sword, it was inevitable for them to lose. Confirming that his body had recovered minimally, Ronan raised his upper body.

"Keuuk!"

He had to grit his teeth against the overwhelming pain. Every movement produced sounds akin to branches snapping. After managing to sit up, Ronan cursed.

"Fuck... This is too sharp."

Now it was time to move on to the next step. He should be able to escape by cutting through this size of rock. Fortunately, he felt the hilt of a sword in his right hand. Despite the chaos of the fall, he hadn't let go of his sword. Ronan's face contorted sharply as he glanced down.

"Damn it."

Lamancha was destroyed. The blade of the sword was broken, missing about half of its length.

It was only now that Ronan remembered how he had blocked Darman's kick with the blade of Lamancha. Thanks to that, his life was saved. He quickly tried to feed the sword the blood that flowed from his body, but while cracks formed and healed, the missing part didn't regenerate.

'Will I find it again?'

This was just too much. While he could reattach the missing part if he found it, there was no time for that now. After a brief deliberation, Ronan made a decision and switched cores. Shimmering mana began to flow over his shoulders.

"All right. Let's try this."

Activating Teranlil's Aura, the shockwave, would enable him to escape. Of course, there was the risk of triggering a landslide or having rocks fall on his head, but now wasn't the time to consider each possibility. The moment he was about to manifest the Aura, a familiar voice came from behind.

"Foolish."

"...!"

Ronan's body tensed. Almost reflexively, he turned his head. A familiar face came into view. Lynn was squatting beside him, staring at him intently.

"...Lynn?"

Lynn waved her hand as if in response. Ronan's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Her abundant white hair flowed down to the floor.

"You're badly injured. Must be painful..."

Lynn was attempting to offer comfort, albeit in a detached manner. Ronan reached out and pulled her into his arms. The pain in his body was forgotten for an instant. Lynn, who had been taken aback by the sudden action, chuckled softly.

"Bold move. A bit faster would be nice."

"Are you okay?"

Pulling away, Ronan grabbed Lynn's shoulders. No matter how he examined her, Lynn seemed fine. He had thought she was dead back then. Lynn pouted her at his words.

"As if. Do I look okay?"

She stretched out her index finger and poked Ronan's forehead. Only then did Ronan notice that Lynn's chest was dyed red. There was a gaping hole where Darman's sword had pierced through, with the other side clearly visible, an injury so severe it seemed surreal. Alternating between the wound and Lynn's face, Ronan spoke up.

"How...?"

"It's a pity my beautifully constructed body had to end up like this. But I have no regrets."

Lynn shook her head. Ronan furrowed his brow at the incomprehensible words. A constructed body? Suddenly, she spoke again.

"But, you haven't answered my question yet."

"Question?"

"Yeah. I asked if you wanted it."

At that moment, Ronan noticed that Lynn's body seemed slightly translucent. Her hair was faintly glowing, giving the impression of a spirit.

In a fleeting moment, Ronan recalled the conversation he had with Lynn just before Darman started his attack. They had talked about the Holy Sword. Remembering the hypothesis he had formulated back then, Ronan narrowed his gaze.

"You..."

"There's no time. See for yourself and decide."

Suddenly, Lynn extended her hand as if offering a handshake. Ronan, as if mesmerized, took her fern-like hand. In an instant, waves of illusion surged through his mind. It was the same sensation as when he wielded the Sword Spirit summoned in the Holy Land.

'What...!'

In the middle of the wilderness, a Black Dragon was roaring. Its two pairs of wings, just like Cita, were massive enough to cover the entire field of view. Its neck, curved like a swan, towered higher than the imperial walls.

It wasn't difficult to deduce the identity of the dragon. While Ronan had only seen it in pictures and fairy tales, encountering it in reality was a first. Unknowingly, Ronan murmured the name of the sinister creature.

"Orsay."

For over a thousand years, it had reigned over the continent from the center. Countless soldiers were rushing towards Orsay. A man wielding a pure white sword, mounted on a horse, was leading them. The banners interspersed throughout the army depicted a falcon, the symbol of the Balon Empire.

As the dragon spread its four wings and spewed forth flames towards them, a situation where thousands would turn into ashes in an instant loomed. In the moment the torrent of flames was about to engulf the soldiers, the man at the forefront swung his sword heavily. Kwaaaah! The flames parted to reveal a path leading to Orsay. The dragon roared thunderously.

[Does mere mortals dare challenge me!]

"Yaaaah!"

Instead of answering, the man let out a fierce shout. Orsay spewed fire again, but that too was cut by the pure white sword. Ronan, suddenly seeing the man's face, froze. The young man facing the dragon bore a striking resemblance to Balon the 44th, whom he had an audience with not long ago.

"That man...!"

"That's right. It's Balon."

From somewhere, Lynn's voice could be heard. As Orsay and Balon clashed, the location changed. It was the Holy Land of Parzan, a place Ronan knew well. Beneath the dazzling night sky filled with stars, a single sword was thrust into the ground. It was reminiscent of the pure white sword held by Balon.

"It was where I fled after I was disappointed in Balon. I think it was a good decision."

With Lynn's words, time quickly passed. The sun and moon rose and set thousands of times. Eventually, on the outskirts of the crater where the light was dimming, buildings where the elders lived were erected. Souls of swords, reminiscing their masters, grew next to the white sword one after another.

How many times had the seasons changed like this? Suddenly, the shape of the white sword shimmered and transformed into that of a girl. Her white and voluminous hair resembled the color of the sword. The girl, who pulled out a sword from around her at random and put it on her back, turned her head. It was a familiar face. Suddenly, she squatted down, looking at Ronan, and spoke.

"Thief."

"What?"

Ronan's eyes widened. The surroundings had changed into a familiar village. In Ronan's hand, standing in the middle of Gran Parzan, was a magnificent dagger. Facing Lynn, he spoke.

"...You're the Holy Sword."

"Yeah. It's a shame. I wanted to visit the academy you mentioned."

"Can't you go now?"

"It's not that, but I wanted to experience it as a human. Eating, drinking, touching directly."

"Quite the impertinent bart."

Ronan chuckled. Lynn retorted that she was not a bart but a lady. Meanwhile, her body was becoming increasingly blurry. Sensing that time was running out, Ronan spoke up.

"The Holy Sword. I'll take it. Since I don't like the term 'take,' let's say we're partners."

"Excellent choice."

"Damn, now I have some hope. Then, will I become as strong as Balon?"

"It depends on your potential. If you don't have the foundation, there might not be much change."

Lynn explained that all she could do was to bring out the wielder's potential. With a concerned tone, she scanned Ronan up and down and said.

"And your physical condition is terrible right now. You need sufficient rest and treatment. Awakening dormant powers prematurely could backfire."

"Don't worry about that. I'm fine."

"You're quite remarkable. Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Lynn cocked her head. Her round eyes seemed to say that she had never seen someone like him before. Ronan, spitting out the blood that had accumulated in his mouth, replied gruffly.

"Why wouldn't I be scared? It's damn terrifying."

"Then why do you act like that? Earlier, you already knew that the boy named Darman was stronger than you."

"It's nothing."

Ronan staggered to his feet. It wasn't a lie; Right now, he felt like he might even lose in a fight against Aselle. Despite knowing he might lose to Darman, he still faced him head-on. There was no particular reason. Ronan took a deep breath and spoke.

"Just... because I had to."

"Hmm."

Lynn chuckled. It was a somewhat approving expression. As her body gradually blurred, she emitted a bright light.

"Ugh..."

Ronan raised his hand to shield his eyes. The light soon began to fade. When he opened his eyes again, Lynn's figure had disappeared without a trace.

"Lynn?"

There was no response. However, Ronan realized that his body was no longer in pain. The wounds that covered his entire body had disappeared as if washed away. With his right hand, he looked down and took a deep breath.

"This is..."

Lamancha had been completely restored. The missing part, which had been broken and lost, was now filled in with a gleaming white blade, reminiscent of Lynn's hair. It was as if the light had grown from the shadows. A familiar voice echoed silently in Ronan's mind.

[Indeed, I have an eye for people.]

Ronan silently gripped the hilt of the sword. Strength was returning to his limbs. His heartbeat felt as fast as it did on the day he faced Ahaiyute. A brilliant burst of light seeped through the cracks in the rocks that had covered him.