Free Web NovelThe shadow where Shin Youngjun’s belongings had been stored.
That shadow had originally belonged to Ariella.
After her power grew stronger.
Separate from Ariella’s own shadow veil.
She had also been able to create a separate space for Shin Youngjun, but.......
“Taking that space back is not difficult either.”
Right now.
Shin Youngjun’s shadow veil had returned to Ariella’s embrace.
Because of that.
'......A severed hand.'
Taking out the object inside it.
Was not difficult either.
“It does not seem to belong to a monster. It is indeed a human arm.”
Corporal Seo Suhyeok said as he looked at the object.
He possessed senses and observational ability superior to other awakened ones.
He could quickly tell that the hand did not belong to some other race, but to a human.
“White...... no. It seems to have the skin tone of someone Hispanic. Judging by the thickness and the traces of muscle tissue, he was probably quite a muscular man.”
A Hispanic man.
Probably from Spain or Mexico.
Or else from somewhere in Central America, the Caribbean, or South America.
“There are many wounds on the hand, but the old wounds are not old ones. There are calluses too, but likewise, they do not seem old. Most of them seem to have formed recently before it was severed like this.”
“.......”
“It is a hand that has been severed for a long time, but the amount of mana I can sense from it is considerable. He was probably an awakened one of an impressive level.”
The longer Corporal Seo Suhyeok’s explanation continued.
“.......”
The more suspiciously the soldiers’ gazes turned toward Ariella.
“I will say this in advance, just in case, but this was not my doing.”
“......Then what is this?”
“I do not know its exact identity either. All I know is...... that it was an ‘achievement reward’ Master obtained after resolving the matter in that foreign land.”
At those words.
The other unit members also looked at the object.
“An achievement reward.......”
The pale, stiffened hand.
And the map fragment clutched at its end.
For something called a reward, it looked rather ominous.
However.
“Master flinched the moment he saw its name.”
“......?”
“Likely because it was a name he remembered.”
At those words.
The unit members also looked at that object.
More precisely, at the map held in the hand.
[Ascension Path]
They did not have any sort of emotion-type skill.
Yet when they looked at that object, its name appeared above it.
“This is.”
And.
The soldiers who guessed the reason opened their eyes wide and said.
“That thing from back then......!”
“It is a special privilege reward.”
***
“A special privilege reward?”
Unlike the other squad leaders, who quickly recognized it.
Jeong Sua and Lee Sanga.
The two squad leaders tilted their heads, unable to identify the object even as they looked at it.
“When we succeeded in a Conquest War for the first time in the Republic of Korea...... it was one of the items we could obtain as a reward then.”
Then.
Corporal Jeon Gwangil spoke as he recalled the old memory.
In the past.
When they had first succeeded in a Conquest War.
It was an item bestowed as a reward for the achievement of being the first in the Republic of Korea to succeed in a Conquest War.
“There were several options, and we could choose only one of them.”
And.
In the past, they had not thought much about those items.
But now, things were different.
“Among them, we chose Vimanar.”
“......!”
The two squad leaders who heard Corporal Jeon Gwangil’s words widened their eyes in surprise.
“My God.”
“So that’s where a fortress like that came from......!”
The fortress being used as their base.
Even they had yet to fully confirm Vimanar’s potential.
It already possessed enough power to break through even the barrier created by that system.
Yet Vimanar’s facilities could still be leveled up.
If all of its potential were released, even they could not guess what kind of fortress it would become.
And.
'If this was on the same list as Vimanar, then.'
'That means it may be an item containing that level of power......!'
This object.
Was at least a reward on the same level as Vimanar.
“If that is true...... then it certainly is an impressive item.”
Corporal Lee Minjae said, cold sweat running down his face.
“But.”
It must certainly contain tremendous power.
The problem was.
That this had been an achievement reward given to awakened ones.
And.
“This hand.”
That the object.
Was being held in someone else’s hand.
“Back then...... the details of the special privilege clearly said that a reward would be given to the first person in a nation to succeed in a Conquest War.”
“Separate from the fact that we chose Vimanar, those who succeeded first in other nations would also have received rewards.”
“In that case, this hand is probably.”
There was only one identity.
That came to mind.
“Someone who completed a Conquest War in another country.”
“.......”
Like them.
Someone who had completed a Conquest War first and obtained a reward.
The likelihood that this was that person’s hand was higher than anything else.
And.
Those who thought of that could not help but break out in cold sweat.
'Calling it completing a Conquest War makes it sound nice.'
There had only been seven rewards listed in that special privilege at the time.
It was not something one could obtain simply by being the first to achieve a Conquest War in each country.
Among nearly two hundred countries, only those who completed a Conquest War the fastest.
An item that could only be obtained by those born with talent, strength, and luck that ranked among the very best of humanity.
This was someone who had obtained such an item.
The owner of this hand had likely been an incredible powerhouse as well.
Like Corporal Shin Youngjun of the Legion, he must have been a hero with exceptional ability, enough to succeed in a Conquest War as the leader of a faction.
'The fact that such a person’s hand ended up like this means.'
Even though they obtained that special privilege reward.
In the end.
They had failed to overcome this ruin and had fallen.
“This.......”
Corporal Lee Minjae, whose thoughts had reached that point.
Looked at Ariella with cold sweat on his brow and said.
“Why are you showing this to us?”
***
“If what you say is true, then it is true that this object contains tremendous power.”
However.
If that was the case.
“Rather than showing it to us, would it not be better for you to use it?”
“Did I not say it earlier? As I am now, I am in a position where I must obey Master just by facing him. Even if I use it, it will not be of much help in resolving the current situation.”
“In that case, perhaps it would be better to entrust it to those beastkin of Cheonsan Martial Hall instead.”
The greater the power contained within an object.
The more important the ability of the one who handled it became.
“Those with greater skill should be able to make better use of that power.”
“That...... I am not so sure.”
However.
At Corporal Lee Minjae’s words.
Ariella frowned as she looked into the air.
“I do not know whether Master told you this.”
“In that foreign land, Master and I met [Grand Duke Valarak].”
“That name.”
“You have some guess, do you not?”
Of course.
They could not help but have one.
[Invitation from Duke Valarak]
That name as well.
Was one they had seen on that special privilege list.
The power he possessed should, under normal circumstances, have made it impossible for him to comfortably wander this world.
He should normally have been sealed, like those beastkin.
But...... the grand duke had not been bound by any seal.
It was likely because he had appeared in this world through that special privilege.
“And at that time...... while I do not know the grand duke’s past in detail, there was one thing I could tell.”
“What is it?”
“For some reason, even with such overwhelming power, he once had no choice but to help awakened ones.”
Though he was a powerful monster, he had not been sealed.
And for some reason, he had been forced to help humans.
As for the reason.
Ariella had a guess.
“These special privileges were ultimately bestowed by the [System].”
“......!”
At those words.
The unit members’ bodies flinched.
The system.
Ordinarily, it would have been a friendly existence that bestowed power upon them as well.
But.
'The existence that Church worships.'
Now.
It was the existence worshiped by the enemies they were fighting.
In other words.
It was no different from an item bestowed upon humanity by the god worshiped by their enemy.
If they had to give it a name.
'Should it be called a [Holy Relic]?'
And.
“The system is hostile to beings other than humans.”
“.......”
Just like the way that grand duke had somehow been forced to help humans.
This object would originally have been given to that Hispanic man.
And afterward, it had been bestowed upon Corporal Shin Youngjun.
“The ones who can use this object best are likely humans, no.......”
Her gaze.
Turned toward the Legion members.
“Only awakened ones.”
At those words.
Corporal Seo Suhyeok recalled the time he first awakened.
'The system...... does not even count anyone but awakened ones as a number.'
This was an object bestowed by such a system.
It was not strange at all to think it had been prepared for awakened ones.
“And.......”
She smiled faintly and said.
“The most capable awakened ones I know are all here.”
Only then.
Did they understand why Ariella had handed them this object.
“.......”
They still did not know the exact nature of this object.
But whatever its identity was.
The ones who could likely make the best use of it were probably themselves.
“However, there is a high possibility that it will not be as convenient as you imagine.”
Ariella looked warily at the hand holding the map.
“As you can see. In the end, the one who received this object’s help also ended up like this.”
“Are you saying it might be an item less effective than expected?”
“That possibility exists...... and also.”
She spoke with a gaze full of caution.
“Conversely, it may be that this object caused him to become like that.”
“......!”
[Invitation from Duke Valarak] had been an item prepared as a special privilege.
However.
“[Duke Valarak] ultimately drove that land of China to ruin.”
A single human who had summoned him.
According to that person’s wish, he had sought to exterminate all of humanity.
The power that could have helped humanity with its strength.
Depending on its user, could also become a power that destroyed a continent.
“This object may do something similar as well.”
Perhaps.
People who could have lived perfectly well might meet an unfortunate death because they used this object.
Beyond that.
If someone among them harbored the wrong thoughts.
This object might even bring ruin across this entire land.
“......Is that why you called it a gamble?”
“Yes.”
If it succeeded, they might gain great power.
But if it failed, it might bring about ruin far too great.
A gamble of unknown identity.
'This is merely an option.'
Whether to use it or not.
Was up to them.
“If you are not sufficiently resolved, then simply moving on without using it may be the answer.”
Corporal Shin Youngjun’s abilities were exceptional.
But the Legion’s forces were not weak either.
In particular, the Legion was a force even more specialized in defensive warfare.
If they received Lieutenant General Kim Hyeon-seok’s command.
Even if they could not retrieve Corporal Shin Youngjun, the Legion would not fall.
Perhaps.
Making Lieutenant General Kim Hyeon-seok the new guild leader as things stood.
And carrying out a separate war against the Church.
Might be more helpful to their survival.
Lieutenant General Kim Hyeon-seok was already performing the external role of guild leader, so he would surely do an excellent job if entrusted with it.
However.
“Sufficient resolve, huh.......”
At her words.
The Legion members smiled faintly and thought.
They had blamed themselves because they lacked ability.
But even so, they had kept thinking it all along.
Grab!
Whatever danger it might be.
They were already prepared to bear it.
[The path of ‘Ascension Path’ opens!]
Their hands removed the dead man’s hand.
And grasped the map fragment that had been held in that hand.
