Ch.219Legacy

After concluding the determination of the Six-Piece Bone Formation in various senses—feeling the signs of a proper transition into a long battle and quickly finishing the combat—

Having offered my flesh (a knife to the belly) and cut through bone (vampire subjugation), I now looked at this mid-level vampire who was essentially completely neutralized and awaiting the final blow.

‘….His regenerative ability is certainly impressive.’

As I recovered from the hole punctured in my stomach using troll regeneration—the result of a strategy where I deliberately showed an opening to impale him—I suddenly heard something unexpected.

“Thank you… for liberating me, young man.”

“….?”

The dying vampire suddenly addressed me with a voice filled with resolution.

In truth, considering the average cultist, my first thought was that he might be trying some trick, but somehow this time felt different.

Perhaps thanks to my hyper-intuition, which has never betrayed me.

This super-sense tells me that he is now freed from all desires, and looking at the vampire again after hearing this, he definitely seems changed somehow.

To be specific…. should I say he’s surrounded by an aura as if liberated from the prison called the physical body, looking like he might transcend at any moment?

His eyes, which should be filled with bloodlust toward living beings and the desire for blood, are incredibly clear. What I sense in his voice isn’t the ferocious growl of a beast, but regret about his past actions and distinct guilt.

Yes, it’s shame. The emotion harbored by this being—whom it’s almost embarrassing to call a vampire now—is unmistakable shame.

All the evil deeds he committed while wearing the mask of a vampire. The countless lives he took with his own hands. Losing his memory and committing evil, even losing his own name and walking the path of wickedness—all his past transgressions.

Even without intuition, I could somehow sense these emotions from him, creating a solemn atmosphere. Before long, he set those feelings aside momentarily and continued speaking to me.

“I am… a sinner. I killed, and killed, and killed many. ….Even innocent ones I had sworn to protect. And you, young man, have completely liberated me from the suffering of the physical body.”

“….Liberation.”

“Yes. This is liberation. I will now escape my shackles and fall from the hell of the flesh into the hellfire of heaven, and isn’t that a fitting punishment for a sinner?”

“You… your current state itself seems like punishment.”

As I said, this former vampire, who was making an extremely pained expression, seemed to be in terrible agony just by being here.

Overwhelming transgressions and sins. Sins that can never be atoned for, nor should they be.

Looking as if crushed under the weight of his accumulated karma, he heard my words and seemed to relate, showing a bitter smile and looking somewhat embarrassed….

“….Yes. But this shouldn’t end with just punishment.”

Speaking with a voice and expression that conveyed some kind of resolution, he muttered to himself, then instead of showing any further reaction, he removed something from his back.

‘….A surcoat?’

A knight’s garment that serves as a cloak worn on the back, armor, and a magical tool. Among such clothing worn over armor, he took out something closer to a cloak-like surcoat and held it out to me.

“It’s inadequate, but please accept it. Though tainted, once purified, it will provide great power.”

“….If you’re giving it, I’ll gratefully accept.”

Though in a tattered state, the surcoat—which could still be repaired with magic—had soft fur instead of a collar around the neck area…. feathers?

A trio of leather-scales-feathers. If I had to describe it, this surcoat resembled something made from feathered dinosaur hide, stained black with blood and corruption, and appeared to be a magical item of considerable quality.

As he said, it was terribly corrupted by the cultist’s evil magical power, but after purification, it would be unique equipment that could be used in its own way.

-Hissssss….!!!

As I sprinkled holy water I always carried with me, it emitted smoke. While watching this briefly, I touched it with the blade of my unicorn longsword and asked him:

“Do you regret it?”

“….I regret it tremendously. So, this old man will leave one last piece of advice to one who suffers entangled in the threads of fate. Please, do not surrender. You alone can protect the world from ‘that thing’ which destroyed my family—”

His words were cut off at that point, in an extremely unnatural manner.

The possibility of some external pressure was essentially 100% at this point. Therefore, I brought my longsword to his head to finally finish him off as he slowly began to crumble.

And—

“Oh, ohhh—!! C-Could it be…. you are, y-you’re—”

Unable to finish his words, his body slowly turned to ashes and disappeared.

But his legacy, his will to leave something behind, was clearly conveyed.

In the form and structure of something with higher value than mere matter.

※ ※ ※

And so that night, I opened my eyes in the void.

A space where I could obtain factors. A table where I consume fruits. In that place formed according to my intention, I opened my eyes wide and looked around at the familiar surroundings….

‘….A floor?’

Why was there clearly a “floor” in this void, unlike before?

A floor. A transparent and quiet surface reminiscent of still water without even a breeze.

While this element formed the void into an even more mysterious space, it was perhaps more an indication of some tendency appearing in the mental world of my mind.

Considering that this void is a manifestation of mental imagery, it’s highly likely proof that I’ve somewhat pierced that thin layer of skin leading to the advanced level.

Anyway, after briefly taking interest in this new change, I shook my head and turned toward the “fruits” of the “factors”—the real reason I came to this space.

However… at this point, I wasn’t particularly interested in these factors.

Most cultist-related factors are trap factors contaminated with their distinctive essence.

Absorbing something stained with the color of demonic contractors is hardly different from becoming a cultist, and factors from outer god worshippers aren’t much different from the demonic side.

Still, the undead side offers quite a few factors related purely to skill or technique, and not all cultist factors are stained with such cultist colors, so there’s no major issue.

However, vampires, especially vampires with special abilities from various racial units, mostly have such power embedded in their factors, so I expected this time would be like before, with some typical magical power bestowed….

‘….Huh?’

For some reason, the factors I directly encountered were all three clean and refreshing enough to be absorbed….

“….All three can be absorbed?”

Crucially, though I didn’t know the exact reason, the fact that all three could be absorbed opened new horizons for me.

‘Was it you….?’

Though I couldn’t know the exact reason, if I had to point to one, it was highly likely that the vampire had been able to pass “something” to me as a legacy just before his death….

“….Thank you.”

So while sincerely expressing gratitude that probably wouldn’t be heard, I absorbed the clear and refreshing factors before my eyes.

“Fierce Charge”—a talent-type factor that greatly enhances aptitude for all forms of “charging” including lance charges, and even precisely indicates the timing to crash into enemies.

“Lance Mastery”—an experience-type factor that greatly improves proficiency with cold weapons resembling spears or polearms at least 1 meter long, along with knowledge about such weapons.

“Mounted Combat”—an experience-type factor that provides proficiency in fighting while mounted on various beasts, beyond simply riding horses.

Having successfully obtained and absorbed these three factors, I felt a solemn emotion rather than suspicion about this composition that clearly suggested some external intervention.

For a moment, I felt the pressure and burden as if inheriting someone’s life, but then I quietly digested these powers while making a promise to myself.

A promise that I would never treat them carelessly or lightly.