Ch.113113. Transmission
by fnovelpia
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I anticipated both the time and the place.
The person I was looking for was sitting quietly exactly where I thought they would be.
It was also a place I had visited once before.
The Garda clan’s space. The place where Riru had previously performed funeral rites by burning the belongings of the deceased family members.
“…Grand Chief. Authority. Kasa Garda.”
I quietly spoke those words behind Kasa’s back as he sat on the coastal cliff with a pipe in his mouth.
“I’ve come to receive your teachings.”
Hearing this, Kasa chuckled.
“Ah, we did have that kind of relationship, didn’t we?”
“…”
Certainly, bringing this up is a bit funny.
Kasa and I never really had much of a teacher-student exchange. Until now, I’ve just been doing basic physical training with him, as he said.
“How did you know I was here?”
Without answering, I sat down heavily next to Kasa.
“…I already knew this was your favorite place.”
This place becoming the Garda clan’s private property was simply due to this person’s personal preference.
“Especially at times like this.”
I continued with a sigh.
“I figured you’d be sitting in a place like this, watching when the situation became interesting enough for you to want to ‘observe.'”
As has been shown several times, Kasa Garda’s “insight” is far from ordinary.
He sees through to the essence of everything so thoroughly that it seems like this might be his true ability rather than his fistfighting.
In other words.
He’s fully prepared to munch on popcorn while watching me perform a time attack with two demons chasing after me to kill me.
“It’s quite amusing to see you with multiple fuses tied to your tail.”
Kasa continued with another chuckle.
“I can tell you did it deliberately, but what made you think of going that far?”
“…”
As expected.
Despite having barely any contact with me, he has accurately grasped the situation I’m in.
“…Then I trust you also know why I’ve come to find you.”
I said, dropping my bundle on the ground with a thud.
“There’s not much time left, Kasa.”
Unicorn horn, water dragon scales, flame demon heart, ice tiger claws.
These are materials I collected from hunting the rulers of the magical realm, which I had AI Sefira at the Hall of Fire process into these items.
Glancing at my watch, I continued.
“…Only about 30 minutes left now.”
“You managed to hold out until there was only that much time left. I recall telling you repeatedly that my martial arts would be essential.”
“That’s because I trusted you.”
And that trust remains valid even now.
Although this world has kicked me in the back of the head quite harshly several times, there are still some absolute constants that never change.
At the very least, those humans who carry the title of ‘Holy’ are already superhuman, and Kasa, known as Authority, is one of them.
Setting everything else aside, if he only made me do basic physical training to the point of exhaustion, there must have been a clear reason for it.
And there must have been a reason why he remained still until I came looking for him at the very last moment.
“…There’s something you wanted to show me, isn’t there?”
“…”
It was like that in the game too.
During scenario progression, if you met the conditions and took him as your master through a personal quest, he would just make Elia do crazy physical training day in and day out.
Most players would skip the entire quest, tired of the process that consumed time without offering substantial rewards.
But if you endured it to the end, he would ‘demonstrate’ one decisive technique right before the boss battle.
From what I’ve observed, it’s an event where he presents an impossible finishing move, saying “This is the technique that suits you best.”
‘…I don’t understand how one can immediately replicate it after seeing it just once.’
I don’t really know either. Elia would always have some kind of epiphany in a cutscene, and then the skill would just appear. It’s a system allowance.
But since all such “game-like” rules have applied so far, I believe the same will happen to me.
That’s why I haven’t said anything until now.
“…”
Hearing my words, Kasa smiled and put down his pipe.
“You know a lot, child. I felt that from when we first met. You always seem to move as if you ‘already know’ everything.”
Kasa exhaled a cloud of smoke from his pipe and smirked.
“This is the second time I’ve had this feeling.”
“The second time?”
“There was someone else before. Someone who felt like they were… ‘repeating’ things they already knew.”
“…Was this person wearing something like a mask?”
“You know each other?”
We do know each other.
Though I’ve only met him once.
“…We’re not particularly close.”
Because ultimately, he’s someone I must kill.
Kasa tilted his head at my response but soon changed the subject.
“Anyway—”
Kasa’s gaze settled on the bundle I had placed beside her.
“—if you’ve trusted me that much, I should repay you.”
Inside were one prosthetic arm and two prosthetic legs.
Items to replace this person’s lost limbs.
Even with materials of that quality, if my thinking is correct, they can only substitute for Kasa’s body for a very brief time.
“How much have you trained your body?”
“…”
I look down at my own body in response.
I have grown compared to before.
My shoulders have broadened, my abs are defined, and my body has thickened overall.
It reminds me of the old days.
Before I became Darwood Campbell, I had a body that anyone would consider robust.
Of course, this means nothing more than my body has improved somewhat.
“That should be sufficient.”
After saying that, Kasa rose from his seat, moving the ‘substitute’ body parts he had attached.
“Child, I know why you’re doing such a reckless thing.”
Kasa grinned as he rotated his arm.
“You’re not the type to take such risks just to save your own life.”
“…”
“You’ve thought, and thought, and thought again. You’re doing this to ensure that no one within your reach gets hurt.”
Kasa closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
“You’re a child who always chooses the painful path where you get hurt, rather than others.”
“…”
“I can see your… intention. The fear that others might get caught up in trouble because of your existence.”
As soon as I heard those words.
An image flashed through my mind.
Allan Va-Thor.
A human who was turned into a vessel by Tatiana simply to summon an ancient god. A human ‘sacrificed’ as an offering.
A person I never even met.
But who died ‘because of me.’
If I had acted differently, if I hadn’t provoked Tatiana, if I hadn’t caught the Luminary’s eye.
A person who could have lived was ultimately sacrificed to Tatiana.
“…”
The butterfly effect caused by my existence.
The uncertain variables that inevitably arise as a result of my actions for survival.
As Kasa said.
Someday, it could affect the people around me.
“I can’t save everyone, of course.”
I calmly respond to Kasa’s words.
Yes, I know that too.
Despite my possession advantage and veteran knowledge that lets me pull off all kinds of crazy stunts. Even I will face crises I cannot handle.
There will definitely be people I ‘lose.’
But still.
“…Those people absolutely cannot be among them.”
At the very least.
Not those women who would do anything for me, because they like me.
That includes the two who are half-crazed and coming to tear me apart right now.
The reason I made them that way in the first place was because I couldn’t bear to see them come to harm.
“…”
If my thinking is correct.
Making those two go berserk here and now is the only way to save them from the approaching ‘threat.’
“Hmm. Those dangerous women who could end your life with one wrong move.”
“Yes.”
“Most people would abandon everything and run away in such a situation. Do you have a special reason?”
“…”
I close my eyes as I answer.
“…I don’t want to experience the same thing twice.”
There are memories in this world that are sufficient to experience just once.
Engraved in the mind, in the soul.
Things that leave wounds that don’t heal even after decades.
“Once is enough for an experience that differs by just 3 seconds.”
“…”
Though he clearly didn’t understand what I meant, Kasa simply nodded with a bitter smile.
“…You have a soul with many wounds.”
Without answering, I just scratch my head with another bitter smile.
It’s certainly not a proud memory.
“That’s why, child. Because you are who you are, there’s something you can do.”
My expression becomes serious at those words.
If my memory is correct, this is the dialogue that comes right before Kasa ‘passes down’ his technique in the game.
Soon, ‘law magic’ began to rotate through Kasa’s body.
Law magic is an extremely rare talent even within the Tribal Union. Right now, only Kasa and Riru can use it among those around me.
‘…This is the first time I’m seeing it used properly.’
Law magic also has the most peculiar characteristics among all abilities.
It’s one of the few abilities that can cause ‘miracles’ through human will.
That sounds vague, but there’s no other way to explain it.
What’s certain is:
Among all abilities, it has the highest risk and highest return.
It wasn’t for nothing that I panicked and stopped Riru when she tried to use it before.
“You just need to train your body. You just need to create a basic vessel that can ‘imitate’ what I’m about to show you. You don’t need to take anything more from me.”
Kasa said with a grin.
“I can only show you once.”
Then.
Authority pulled his arm back.
Law magic formed beneath the pulled arm. That arm slowly extended outward.
“Don’t miss it.”
It was a slow gesture reaching toward the sky.
A leisurely movement that couldn’t be seen as striking anyone. A speed that seemed unbelievable for an attack from one called Authority.
But with just that movement.
“…Shit.”
The sky.
Came crashing down.
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