Chapter 23
[Entur asserts that she can faintly sense ‘divine power’ from you.]
[She asks if you are a Constellation disguised as a human.]
A series of absurd statements continued.
Divine power? A Constellation disguised as a human?
I couldn’t even begin to understand what part of me made her come to such a ridiculous conclusion.
While I was momentarily speechless from the bewilderment,
Whoooosh—!
A fierce gale swirled before my eyes.
The cold air was on a completely different level from the breath of the Frost Drake I had just defeated.
I endured the freezing temperature with the flames of <Scorching> wrapped around my body and narrowed my eyes.
‘If it’s a being capable of emitting this much cold, it must be at least an 8-star Archmage… or…’
Swaaaak—.
The swirling blizzard soon began to take the shape of a woman.
It was nothing more than frost forming a human silhouette, so I couldn’t make out her exact appearance.
However, guessing who this woman was wasn’t particularly difficult.
“Ancient Dragon, Entur.”
—Answer the question. Are you… are you a Constellation wearing a human shell?
Entur’s thought form.
The master of the remains had personally revealed herself before the challenger.
Normally, she would communicate indirectly by borrowing the power of the system…
To manifest her thought form directly?
This was an unprecedented case.
‘Does that mean this is an urgent matter for her? Whether I am a Constellation or not.’
Judging from the desperation in her voice, it seemed I was right.
Well, that made sense.
Considering the situation she was in, it was only natural for her to be desperate.
Entur had no choice but to desperately hope that I was a Constellation… or, more precisely,
That I possessed divine power.
‘Entur’s heart still bears the full scar of her defeat.’
The Knight King’s sword, <Balmun>, that killed Entur.
According to the official setting on the ‘Soden’ homepage, <Balmun> was still left piercing straight through her heart.
‘Because the divine power dwelling in <Balmun> holds Entur’s soul in place, even after death she cannot attain rest and endlessly wanders around her remains, right?’
A death without eternal sleep.
The way to put an end to that tragic fate was simple.
Just remove the <Balmun> embedded in her heart.
However, only two types of beings could freely touch an object imbued with divine power.
One was the owner of the weapon.
Or.
‘A Constellation who can handle divine power in the same way.’
This was exactly why she was questioning my identity.
But unfortunately…
“I am not a Constellation. I am merely an ordinary human.”
I had no choice but to shake my head and shatter Entur’s expectations.
What isn’t, isn’t. There was nothing I could do about it.
There were probably a few secrets entangled in this body called ‘Ruth Fried’ that even I didn’t know about.
But one thing I could assert clearly:
This body could not possibly be a Constellation.
‘If I were a Constellation from the beginning, I wouldn’t be able to exist on this continent.’
However.
Even after my firm answer, Entur could not accept it.
—An ordinary human? Don’t lie! You dare brazenly deny it while emitting such thick divine power from your body!
“How could I possibly tell a lie before a supreme being? If you are suspicious, please check for yourself.”
—……Earlier, I watched you create weapons from your own blood to fight. Show me once more.
I didn’t understand why she suddenly made that request after telling me to check, but I decided to comply.
Swaaaak—.
The blood-colored current flowing from my hand took the form of a blood sword.
At the same time, regardless of my will, the blood energy rose into the air like a balloon and flew toward Entur.
—As expected… it is divine power. From this sword… from your blood… I can feel divine power.
Entur’s voice carried the certainty that she had not been wrong.
Hwaaaaak—!!
As the thought form exhaled sharply, the blood sword shattered into pieces.
Once the blood-colored current completely scattered, a golden haze began to ripple in its place.
“Ah.”
Only then did I roughly realize why she had suddenly said she could sense divine power from me.
—This radiance is light that only those who have cast off the mortal coil and ascended to the seat of stars can possess. In other words, it is divine power.
“…….”
—As you can see, divine power flows within your blood. Do you still intend to claim that you are an ordinary human?
I had nothing to say.
Because even I had overlooked this.
‘I never imagined she would sense divine power from the star blood I received from Demian.’
Star blood.
It was only natural for divine power to dwell in the blood of a Constellation.
Moreover, after bathing in the Lava Pond of Evolution and obtaining the Authority of Blood, my own blood had transformed into star blood.
It was the optimal condition for Demian’s star blood to display its power.
This place was none other than inside Entur’s remains.
There was no way the ancient dragon wouldn’t notice someone carrying an unusual energy wandering inside her body.
‘More importantly, now it feels like I’m the one who’s been lying.’
Should I honestly reveal that I received blood from Demian?
No. I couldn’t.
If I did that, there would be an endless amount of additional explanations I would inevitably have to give.
I placed my hand on my chest as if I truly knew nothing.
“I swear, I had no idea that divine power was flowing in my blood.”
—You possessed the power of a god in your body yet lived your entire life without ever realizing it? What a pitiful excuse. It makes no sense.
“No matter how many times you ask, my answer will not change, Ancient Dragon.”
—This is your final chance to speak the truth with your own mouth. Do not make me exert effort to uncover the veracity of your words.
That would be rude.
And rudeness toward a dragon always came with a price.
Goooo—.
A faint trace of anger began to emanate from Entur.
Just the slight display of displeasure from an ancient dragon was enough to make the air feel lethal.
If I hadn’t fortified my mind with <Iron-Blood Heart>, I would have already foamed at the mouth and fainted.
The air grew so cold it felt like I should immediately bow my head and beg for mercy.
But I had no reason to grovel before her.
“If the only way to prove my innocence is for the Ancient Dragon to use magic herself, then please do so.”
—…….
When I stared straight at her as if to say ‘go ahead and try,’ Entur was the one who became flustered instead.
Only for a moment. Soon after she fell silent, a faint magical power brushed against my senses.
She really seemed to be using magic to determine whether my words were true or not.
A short while later.
Entur, having withdrawn her magic, looked at me with unconcealed shock and muttered.
—This can’t… be……
***
The reason the boy before her had been suspected of not being human was not simply because divine power could be felt from him.
It was also because of his unique fighting style of turning his own blood into weapons despite not being a bloodkin.
And above all else,
The transcendental level of martial prowess he displayed while single-handedly dealing with two Dragonfang Soldiers and a Drake without even breaking a sweat.
Entur had been half— no, nearly 90% certain.
That Ruth was either a Constellation wearing a human shell, or at the very least, a being sent down from the sanctuary.
However.
—He really is… human…?
The truth she learned through magic was truly shocking.
This was inside her own remains. There was no way the magic could have given a wrong result.
Yet instead of ending, Entur’s confusion only grew deeper.
—Impossible. How can divine power flow in a human’s blood…?
“I have no idea how this happened either.”
Ruth shamelessly played dumb.
Of course, the act would have been exposed immediately if she used more powerful magic, but Entur had already withdrawn her suspicion toward him.
No. It wasn’t just withdrawn.
The intimidation had completely vanished. She looked at Ruth with eyes several times more desperate than before and cried out.
—I have been waiting a long time for someone like you!
A completely abrupt and contextless statement.
But Ruth could only smile inwardly.
‘The main event has arrived.’
Saying he possessed divine power meant
He could remove the <Balmun> embedded in Entur’s heart.
This conversation, this flow—
Was an incredibly valuable opportunity that had rolled into Ruth’s lap unexpectedly.
Of course,
Ruth continued to widen his eyes innocently, as if he still didn’t understand anything.
Seeing that reaction, Entur hurriedly calmed her excitement and returned to her originally dignified demeanor.
—Reveal your name.
“I am Ruth Fried.”
—Ruth Fried. Honorable challenger. I would like you to stop your steps for a moment and listen to this one’s request.
There was no need for her to say what the request was. It was obvious.
—Embedded in this one’s heart is a single sword. A truly wicked demonic blade that prevents this one’s soul from ascending to the afterlife……
“How could that be……”
—That sword can only be grasped by its owner or by those capable of handling divine power. Ruth Fried, use the divine power you possess to pull out that abominable thing embedded in this one’s heart.
Although she phrased it as a “request,” her tone was closer to a demand. That was fine.
Since she was the one making the request, this gave me justification to demand compensation in return.
However, Entur was, as expected, a dragon with great pride.
Before Ruth could even bring up the topic of compensation, she made the offer herself.
—If you pull out the sword for me, you will become this one’s benefactor for life. If there is anything you desire, I shall grant it within the limits of this one’s authority.
“Anything at all? Then perhaps……”
Ruth knew well that even something wrapped in the word ‘anything’ had clear limitations.
If she were a living dragon it might be different, but Entur was a corpse that had died a long time ago.
Still, he wondered if this level of wish might be something even a dead dragon could fulfill.
“I would like you to bestow Entur-nim’s eyes upon me.”
Entur’s eyes.
The Dragon Eyes, along with the heart, were the parts where a dragon’s purest magical power was most densely concentrated.
Moreover, because they were harder than any mineral on the continent, weapons forged from dragon eyes were universally recognized as end-game items.
In short,
Ruth was currently demanding the final reward of the trial.
—…….
Entur was momentarily speechless at the bold request, unable to give an immediate answer.
But she soon let out a soft sigh and spoke.
—……What could this one possibly not give in return for bringing me rest? After all, a body whose soul has departed is nothing more than an empty shell.
“Then—”
—However, it is impossible.
At the firm refusal, Ruth felt as if he had been hit in the back of the head.
She had just said she would give anything, yet now claimed it was impossible. What kind of ridiculous logic was this?
“Is there an unavoidable reason?”
—This trial you are challenging is extremely meticulously designed. It was created by layering countless prohibitions, covenant spells, and the highest level of manifestation magic over and over again.
“……”
—If this one were to ignore that design and simply hand you the reward, many things would inevitably go awry.
In simple terms,
Skipping the trial content and taking only the reward was something beyond even Entur’s authority.
No matter how much of a designer she was, she could not freely alter an already completed structure.
Ruth struggled to keep his expression from souring.
‘So loopholes don’t work. If I want the Dragon Eyes, I have no choice but to completely clear the final trial.’
Come to think of it, there was no particular reason to feel disappointed.
Whether through a loophole or not, he had planned to challenge <Trial of Entur> to the end anyway.
There were other rewards to be gained by clearing the trial besides the Dragon Eyes.
Such as the additional reward given only to the first challenger.
Or the bet with Wolfgang Demiorck, who promised to hand over the entire <Frost Fang> manual if Ruth surpassed his record.
‘Thinking about it this way, even if Entur could have given me the Dragon Eyes, it might have been more of a loss.’
Thanks to his positive mindset, Ruth brushed off the disappointment and stroked his chin.
Since the Dragon Eyes were not possible, he had no choice but to ask for something else.
“Is it true that once a trial is designed, not even the smallest part can be changed arbitrarily?”
—For example?
“When moving on to the next stage of the trial, please remove the reward forfeiture system for that stage.”
Starting from the third stage, the ‘Torso’ trial, proper rewards were given upon clearing.
However, a choice was also presented:
Would you take the reward and stop here?
Or would you forfeit the reward and proceed to the next stage?
What Ruth wanted was simple.
He wanted to take the rewards as they came while still being able to challenge the next trials.
—Inserting a change of that degree is barely possible…… Wait. You. Do you intend to continue challenging the trial?
“……Is there a problem?”
—Of course there is! If you fail the trial and become crippled, or get expelled from this one’s remains, then this one will forever lose the chance to find rest!
“You need not worry about that, Ancient Dragon.”
—Need not worry?
“There is no chance I will fail the trial, even if I die and come back to life.”
—…….
At the extremely confident declaration, Entur felt as if her breath was caught in her throat, even though she was already dead.
“One more thing.”
—You have another request…… Haah, never mind. Since this one already said with her own mouth that she would give anything in return for rest.
Entur could not shake the feeling that the boy before her was somehow dried up and twisted, yet she had no room for choice.
—A supreme dragon must not go back on her own words. Speak.
“Yes. If I pull out the sword from your heart—.”
The moment Ruth revealed what he wanted,
Entur felt the urge to turn back time just to take back her own words.
***
He had thought they would head straight to the heart to pull out <Balmun>, but that wasn’t the case.
—As soon as the sword is pulled out, my soul will leave these remains. The trial would then be suspended as well. If you wish to continue the trial, then the trial must take priority over heading to the heart.
“I see.”
Ruth gave a vague reply as he climbed the bone staircase.
As expected, there was only one stone slab with two blazing fire orbs.
Only one fire orb burned on the slab in the middle, while the slab on the far left still had no flames at all.
It meant Ruth was the only challenger who had cleared up to the second trial.
‘Who cleared the first trial? Edan? Or that black mage woman?’
The correct answer was Edan, but Ruth had no way of knowing that.
He could only vaguely guess that it might have been Edan.
After all, with the level of skill Ruth knew Edan possessed, he should have been able to handle the Dragonfang Soldiers.
‘If it’s Edan, then that means the black mage woman is still stuck on the first trial…….’
Even so, wasn’t that taking far too long?
He didn’t know much about her, but hadn’t she proven at least a minimum level of skill through sparring with a 7-star knight?
Yet she was still tied down by the Dragonfang Soldiers of the first stage. It was hard to accept.
‘Something smells fishy.’
The smell of foul play.
Unable to shake off the suspicion, Ruth turned toward Entur’s thought form that was quietly following beside him, intending to ask about Mirati’s situation.
However, a tingling sensation brushed his throat, and his mouth refused to open.
‘A prohibition has been placed.’
It seemed questions about other challengers were forbidden.
In the end, Ruth decided to erase any distracting thoughts about the black mage woman and focus solely on the trial.
However.
—Why are you looking at me?
“Aren’t you going back?”
The thought form had been following him the entire time, and it was quite burdensome.
It wasn’t even close surveillance.
What was the designer of the trial, who was supposed to remain neutral, doing?
—I have no choice. As I said earlier, if you fail the trial, it is the worst possible outcome for me.
“Didn’t I tell you there’s no chance I’ll fail?”
—……Truly. Such arrogance that even a noble dragon must concede a point.
“If you’re that worried, there is also the option of telling me the contents of the next trials.”
—Impossible! The prohibitions are absolute.
He had expected as much, so he hadn’t held any real hope.
The moment Ruth reached the end of the staircase and passed through the door of light,
Clank—!!
Along with the harsh sound of metal clashing, a massive restraining force pressed down on his entire body.
The instant he entered the stone chamber, four chains shot out from all directions and bound his limbs.
‘These aren’t ordinary chains.’
His body felt as heavy as if submerged in water, and his strength was rapidly draining.
These chains likely sealed not only physical strength but also all forms of energy such as blood ki and mana.
—Kuhuhu……
While Ruth sharpened his senses, eerie laughter echoed through the chamber.
Fwoosh—!! Fwoosh—!! Fwoosh—!!
Green flames surged up from the ground.
Soon, three old hags wearing masks made of dragon bone and tattered rags appeared.
Witches.
No killing intent could be felt, but a creepy magical power emanated from them, like insects crawling over his body.
As Ruth frowned, the witches looked at him, bound in chains, and giggled.
—Oh, oh. Don’t be too afraid, child. We have no intention of hurting you.
—But we cannot deny the fact that you are unfortunate.
—Why? Because this trial will be endlessly vague for a young child like you who knows nothing of the ways of the world!
“……”
Hearing them talk about knowing the ways of the world, Ruth could roughly guess what kind of trial this was.
—This vast continent is truly filled with countless mysteries and secrets!
—From now on, we shall present riddles about them!
—A narrow-minded child will never be able to solve them. How pitiful! Shall we at least give you choices so you can guess, little one? Kikikik!
The witches were thoroughly enjoying themselves, like old hags who had been steeped in stagnant water for nine thousand hours.