Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Valkeros (1)

#49

The lightning fire subsided.

“I-is it over?”

Bran and Ilark slightly stuck their heads out.

They had evacuated into the hole connected to the audience chamber right before the lightning fell.

The cloud that spat lightning was scattering at a fast speed.

“······Lived.”

Looking around Bran let out a sigh of relief.

It was a difference of a hair’s breadth.

If jumping in was even a little late he would have suffered a terrible appearance.

The heat blooming throughout the rooftop was informing the power of the lightning strike.

Bent steel structures. Sizzling floor.

Silien was collapsed in the middle of that.

“K-completely smashed.”

Ilark smiled.

It was a miserable appearance.

Smoke was rising softly over the body scorched black.

The beautiful silver hair had turned like twisted wire.

The torn and burst clothes had lost the function of clothing.

The steel sphere she was riding as a private car was melting like ice cream dropped on summer asphalt.

In that molten metal Bran’s longsword was sparkling.

‘Good that I stabbed the sword deeply.’

The five Spiral Spears were disassembled into the form of giant fragments.

The group of Steel Spirits that had been stubbornly regenerating were reverse summoned leaving only empty cocoon-like armor.

A natural result.

Because the elemental power condensed in the Origin Scale was not something a human could endure.

It was not for nothing an item that only has room to be acquired in the mid-to-late game.

“Hueuk··· ugh, keuk.”

However, surprisingly she was still alive.

A faint moan was leaking above Silien’s back of the head.

Although it seemed she avoided instant death like that she would not last even a few minutes and her breath would be cut.

“Yes. You have to die more painfully you bitch.”

Thinking of being chased by the Spiral Spears the teeth still trembled.

It was while Ilark was mocking her miserable end.

Tat! Bran urgently rushed out of the hole.

“Have to cut the breath.”

“Eng? Bran?”

Ilark raised an eyebrow.

Despite achieving victory the expression was hardened.

She did not understand why he was in such a hurry.

Still judging that there would be meaning in Bran’s actions just as she was about to step out together.

Hwaaaaaaak!

A blue-green wave burst over Silien’s back.

“Wh-what?!”

Ilark was astonished.

The wave that began to spread explosively instantly covered the entire rooftop.

He does not know what kind of dog act she is doing but the feeling is not good.

Suddenly, her right arm tilted down greatly.

“Kraak!”

Kang! The fallen axe blade hit the floor.

Gripping the axe handle to lift again her eyes widened round.

“Impossible···!”

No matter how much strength given she could not lift the axe.

The axe that could be spun with one finger felt heavy like a mountain.

Not only the arms but strength was draining from the entire body.

To the point it was hard to even take a step.

For aftereffects after emitting heat at maximum output it was too serious.

And, that was not a symptom only Ilark was experiencing.

『The Otherworld presence presses you!』

『The emptiness of the Outer Sea overwhelms you!』

『Warning! All stats greatly decrease!』

Warning windows rose one after another before the eyes of Bran who was running.

“Damn.”

The body became heavy.

The Sanctuary swallowed by the wave extinguished like a candle going out.

The worried matter occurred after all.

“Ilark! Dodge the body!”

“Y-you what about you?!”

Instead of answering Bran waved his arm as if bothersome.

Ilark burst into anger and avoided below the hole.

Although frustrating in this state she would only hold Bran’s ankle.

“Struggling until the end···!”

From here is outside the assumption.

To think she would not instantly die even after being hit by lightning he did not expect.

That wave was not Silien’s original power but power received from the Outer God.

A final pattern that exists even in the game, that she in a dying state activates.

The Outer God’s wave studded with all kinds of debuffs contaminates the area until the moment her breath is cut.

The reason the Sanctuary extinguished was also because the veil suddenly thickened.

『High Mental Power value partially overcomes the decrease of ability!』

Still it is okay.

To some extent it can be overcome with Mental Power.

Unlike Ilark who became half-crippled he could move at the level of an ordinary person.

Furthermore the distance with Silien is only about thirty steps.

Although there was no longsword, to eliminate Silien in a dying state bare hands would be sufficient.

Just as he was running while thinking that.

Puhak!

Something that flew in a straight line pierced Bran’s abdomen.

“Oop.”

Bran’s brows narrowed.

Although not a vital point it hurt enough to faint.

Lowering the gaze one large nail grown over the stomach was visible.

The thickness of a finger.

Suddenly, a cracked voice was heard from the direction he was running.

“This cannot··· be, uh.”

It was Silien.

The index finger with the nail pulled out was aiming at Bran.

Crunch. Scraping the floor she raised her head.

A face as if informing how vain a value appearance is revealed itself.

“This cannot, be···.”

“Monster.”

Bran clenched his teeth.

The skin turning black like coal is the most good symptom.

Half of the face that was stuck to the heated iron plate was contorted with a terrible burn.

One eyeball that burst and flowed down was stuck to the cheek.

“The front··· is not visible···.”

Now looking the opposite eye also seemed to have lost vision.

Of course Bran knew the fact that that point does not become a particular penalty for Silien.

『Warning! The wave of the Outer Sea is detecting your existence!』

Because this was also an effect of the wave.

Silien could detect existences that are not members of the Outer Sea or Otherworld within the wave.

Like a submarine that identifies friend or foe with sound waves.

Small scraps of iron around her were floating in the air one by one.

Silien who was catching her breath turned to Bran.

“Are you··· there?”

“Ah.”

Bran urgently threw his body.

At the same time the scraps of iron that had floated in the air were shot toward Bran all at once.

Papababak!

Metal bullets grazed the place he was standing.

“Damn···!”

The spine was chilly.

Although the size was small it is fatal.

Because the current Bran was pickled in debuffs and had almost no super regeneration ability.

Of all places standing on a place no different from the sky.

By the way using magic with that appearance, an impossible concentration.

‘Shall I drag time instead?’

Honestly enduring was not a bad choice either.

Anyone could see Silien dies soon. It is a serious injury that absolutely cannot survive.

If evacuating Ilark and himself hopping around while drawing aggro it might unexpectedly resolve easily?

“He.”

However our chief magic engineer did not allow that kind of trick.

A smile like a crack rose at the corner of Silien’s mouth.

Kiiiiiiik-!

At the same time a chilling metallic sound rang out.

Low and magnificent. A tone different from so far.

Turning in the direction the sound was made Bran and Ilark froze.

“What.”

A giant steel frame was being pulled out from the side of the Steel Tower.

Even a person without education in architecture could feel that something was wrong.

Rumble.

Sensing the floor shaking Ilark spat out a curse from below the hole.

“Crazy woman! Are you thinking of collapsing all of here?!”

“He, hehe··· he.”

Silien answered by letting out a chilling laugh.

Of course just pulling a few strands like that the entire Steel Tower would not collapse.

Because it is not for nothing a masterpiece made by the legendary blacksmith.

However, only the current rooftop floor had the possibility of partially collapsing.

‘The waiting room is dangerous.’

If so there was a high possibility of casualties occurring.

Since even the people Bran knows there were Leodorn and Kale he had to kill Silien before that.

But how?

If throwing objects she snatches them, if rushing arbitrarily he gets bounced.

Among the methods of responding to the wave there was none that could be used now.

Originally even in the game there had never been a time he caught Silien with such low specs.

‘Think.’

Nevertheless he could not give up.

If after catching everything casualties occur with the last stubbornness it would be so unfair he could not even sleep.

Bran’s forehead was heating up.

All experience as a player was flashing before the eyes like a revolving lantern.

Just as he was desperately thinking what he could do now.

“Eh.”

A lightning-like idea flitted through his mind.

Hurriedly rummaging in his pocket Bran took out one small ring.

“Perhaps···!”

It is the ring looted from Rudel.

The gem embedded in the center of the ring was wavering in a color similar to the wave Silien is emitting.

A ring from which the energy of the Outer Sea is dripping, not yet purified.

Although he had never tried it as of now there was no particular method.

“Hup!”

It was the moment Bran who was moving while avoiding the iron bullets wore the ring.

『Warning! You wore equipment contaminated with the energy of the Outer Sea.』

『The energy of the Outer Sea erodes you. The original performance of the equipment does not manifest.』

『Until the equipment is unequipped continuous damage is received!』

Hwaaaak!

Along with all kinds of warning windows, a pressure as if thrown into the deep sea overwhelmed Bran.

“Gak.”

Bran’s face turned pale.

He cannot breathe properly. A dark membrane is laid over the world he is looking at.

It seems an invisible hand is gripping the body.

Like the game it is a fierce debuff.

The reason purification is essential.

In the original world it was pain that the crew of a sunken submarine or so would experience.

『Mental Power value is high. The body resists the type of pain experienced for the first time!』

『The shoes made of Red Wolf’s hide assist your movement.』

Still not to the point of dying.

Step. Closing his eyes tightly and opening them Bran took the first step.

Silien who was firing iron bullets tilted her head.

“Eh?”

It was success.

“······!”

Bran’s eyes widened.

The expectation was correct.

In the setting the reason contaminated equipment gives damage is because the wearer is eroded by the energy of the Outer Sea.

Silien did not notice Bran wrapped in the energy of the same side as herself.

“Suddenly··· where, did you disappear?”

Silien quickly looked around but in the end did not find Bran.

Even the blind iron bullets being fired only pierced the air.

Step.

Bran began moving his steps while limping.

Swallowing even the faintest breathing sound.

“Hurry, come out.”

Thirty steps. Not noticed.

“How long. Do you think you can hide···?”

Twenty steps. Not noticed.

“In the end··· he, everyone will die.”

Even ten steps, even five steps.

“······.”

Even though approached right in front Silien did not notice Bran’s existence.

Bran opened his mouth.

“Hey.”

“What···!”

It was the moment Silien urgently turned her body.

Puk.

Along with a soft flesh sound her eyes opened wide.

“Gak.”

“······Huu.”

Bran exhaled the breath he had been holding.

He almost burst his lungs.

In his hand one long large nail was gripped.

The nail that was stuck in his own stomach while approaching Silien a moment ago.

“H-how.”

That large nail was now digging into Silien’s heart.

Blood gushed out from between her swollen lips.

The scraps of iron floating in the air fell to the floor with a rustle.

Clang.

The moment pulling out the damn ring, Bran’s vision returned to original.

“I said I’d do the third.”

He said.

Late noticing the situation Silien froze as is.

But that was only for a moment.

The corner of Silien’s mouth slowly rose.

“···As expected.”

The trembling raised hand touched Bran’s face.

Gently stroking his cheek Silien muttered as if spitting out her soul.

“My eyes··· were not wrong, ka···.”

The light extinguished from the remaining one eye.

The forehead of her who fell forward touched Bran’s chest and stopped.

The moment Bran who slowly retreated raised his body, a message announcing the end appeared.

『You defeated Silien Rua the shadow of the Steel Tower!』

『You.』

A type of message a bit different from so far.

『Achieved victory against an overwhelming strong enemy.』

『Overcame successive crises of death.』

『Fought to the end against the incomprehensible terror of the Outer Sea.』

『Overcoming all these hardships, Weed’s Tenacity activates!』

The first settlement of a large episode began.

『Satisfying the conditions, you acquire a new skill!』