Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Star Shadow (1)

#60

The beheading was refreshing.

The blood that poured from the cut surface wet the bone throne.

Thud.

The king’s head that was rotating in the air fell at Bran’s feet.

“Th-uhuhuh.”

“Shaaa···.”

Soon the warriors the king summoned began to perish.

The ghosts that were crawling out from the walls, from the ceiling, from the floor like the royal guard earlier turned into yellow powder like curry and scattered.

The same for the weapon the king was about to draw.

The pile of bones that should have turned into a spear containing the curse lost its form and collapsed.

“Huu.”

Bran let out a sigh of relief.

It was the first rest taken since leaving the rock mountain.

He had not noticed until now, the heart was beating madly fast.

‘I won’t be able to do it twice.’

Even thinking again it was a speedrun distant from normal.

Anyway there was no longer any existence moving in the king’s room.

The companions who were following were also just frozen.

It was while Bran was catching his breath.

“Bran! What kind of act is this!”

“Ugh.”

Arazan roughly grabbed his collar.

The face suddenly became close.

Although he wanted to throw a joke of whether thinking of kissing regrettably it was not that atmosphere.

From her mouth a voice full of anger burst out.

“I did not come for regicide! Wasn’t the purpose killing the shaman who is the root of all matters!”

“Right.”

“But why did you do this kind of thing! Why, without even room to exchange one word of conversation···!”

This is the first time seeing this guy talk this much.

Arazan’s pupils were blazing with anger and betrayal.

A just reaction.

Originally because he seduced her on the condition of eliminating not the king but the shaman.

But.

“Arazan. This is the fastest method of eliminating the shaman.”

“···What?”

“And with this much even if wanting to die cannot die. Because the price of the ritual that offered the country as sacrifice is not easy.”

Originally Bran had never broken a promise.

At the incomprehensible sound Arazan frowned.

Just as Ilark who could not see the fierce atmosphere was about to step out to mediate the two.

“Ueuk, uuum···.”

From the feet of Bran and Arazan someone’s moan spread.

Lowering her gaze Arazan froze.

“What.”

“I··· what happened?”

The king with only the head remaining was blinking his eyes.

The appearance of moaning while looking at the ceiling was like a person who woke from a long sleep.

Kale who was watching that scene from on the wolf let out a sharp scream.

“Kyaaaaak! The head is talking!”

“Uh, uh, uh, how this kind of thing···!”

Benden also showed a similar reaction.

Although Ilark did not scream the scales of the tail were all standing up.

Bran smiled.

“I said.”

“······Impossible.”

Strength loosened from the hand of Arazan who grabbed the collar.

The king’s gaze that slowly scanned the surroundings fixed on Arazan’s face.

“My god. Narhael.”

“What?”

“My beloved daughter. Why did you return?”

Arazan’s face hardened.

King··· no, now that he regained his senses he should be called by his real name Rahir.

Rahir continued in a trembling voice.

“Hurry and go back! You are a body that should not come here. You must survive and continue the plateau’s will!”

“King.”

“Ride my horse and go. Since it is a famous horse of the age Namoon would not have killed it either. By the way why the body is not moving··· huff. What!”

Lowering his gaze Rahir was astonished.

It seemed he finally noticed that he is an existence with only the head remaining.

Unable to see Arazan gripped his head with both hands.

“Wind king Rahir!”

“What···!”

“Come to your senses. I am not your daughter.”

Arazan said.

Rahir let out perplexity.

“H-but resembles this much.”

“It would be that the blood was thickly inherited. However I have heard the name Narhael through father. He said the only survivor of the tragedy that occurred on the plateau and the origin of our clan.”

“Then··· who on earth are you?”

“My name is Arazan. Your distant descendant.”

Looking at the appearance of facing faces like this really resembles.

To the point of being strange that it is not a real daughter.

Arazan continued.

“So please come to your senses. We came to kill the evil shaman, and liberate the souls of the ancestors bound to this land.”

“Shaman···?”

Rahir’s eyes narrowed.

Like a person suffering from a sneeze that is about to come out or not.

From the mouth of him who was moaning a low lament leaked.

“Ah.”

The moment of realization is not long.

Looking around again Rahir muttered softly.

“······Right. It was like that.”

Everything had changed from the past.

A bitter smile rose at the corner of Rahir’s mouth.

“Narhael··· there is no way she is alive until now.”

“Now a bit came to senses?”

“Yes. Descendant.”

Unlike earlier vitality was dwelling in the pupils.

He turned to the group including Bran.

“I’ll also apologize to you guys. I showed a great disgrace.”

“If the mind was dominated for over a thousand years it can be so. Do you know what happened how?”

“···Yes. Without missing even one.”

“Huu.”

Bran swept his chest.

It was while he was inwardly anxious in case a variable arises.

Like the head suddenly turning into curry powder and perishing, or unluckily the shaman is reading a book in the king’s room or something like that.

He does not know how fortunate that he could strike the head at the same time as entering the tent.

‘Passed the worst situation.’

This could also be seen as part of the speedrun.

A secret method to prevent the battle from becoming difficult.

If entering through the original entrance nine times out of ten he would face Rahir and the shaman at the same time.

If so an extremely troublesome boss fight starts.

The shaman endlessly recites evil spells and applies debuffs.

Rahir freely swings the spear and bow made of bones, and boasts to the player how excellent a warrior he was while alive.

The ghost royal guard that endlessly pops out is a bonus!

‘Even just the shaman is difficult. Just imagining it is terrible.’

But if blowing away Rahir’s head at the same time as entry?

Not only lowering the difficulty of the boss fight, but also time to converse with Rahir who returned to his senses is given.

Anyway Rahir’s soul cannot leave this world until clearing the quest.

Rahir smiled.

“Thank you Arazan. I don’t know how long since the head was clear.”

“What should receive thanks is not me but those. Because if alone I absolutely could not have come this far.”

Saying that Arazan pointed at Bran’s group.

Turning the credit here.

Definitely because born with great bloodline humanity was equipped.

Satisfactorily nodding Rahir conveyed a question.

“So you guys. Came to kill Namoon?”

Namoon.

It was the name of the shaman who made the Kargai Plateau into this appearance.

Bran nodded.

“Right.”

“Then you should hurry. Although really thankful for letting me enjoy this kind of joy, I cannot guarantee that I won’t go crazy again. Because I have lived as Namoon’s puppet for too long.”

“I agree.”

It was an accurate point.

Although he succeeded in lowering the difficulty he could not just play.

Because after about an hour the cut head and body stick together again.

Rahir is dominated in mind by the shaman again, and becomes a puppet only for battle.

That cannot be said.

Turning his head Bran called Ilark and Benden.

“There two. Let’s see me a bit.”

“Yes? Why?”

“Uum?”

Bran took the two and headed to the corner.

To achieve the desired purpose there was need to divide the work.

Hearing Bran’s order Ilark frowned.

“Uek. Really? Telling to do that kind of thing?”

“If there is that item it will be sufficiently possible. Believe your oppa.”

“Believing that lizard rather··· ha··· for now understood.”

“I-I’ll also try hard. Although extremely flustered!”

Benden nodded.

Both had perplexity tinged on their faces.

Definitely not a request that can be readily accepted but still he only believed they would do it.

The timing has to match well though.

Clapclap!

Returning Bran clapped.

“Good. Then let’s depart right away.”

From here he had to go with the frontal method not speedrun.

The location of the shaman’s room changes every moment.

Therefore he had to move as agilely as possible and confirm all rooms he passes.

Honestly troublesome but it was okay anyway.

He had confidence to find unconditionally within an hour, and also did all the groundwork he could.

Kale muttered.

“I-I am going together in the end aa···.”

“Of course guy. Where is a cleric trying to skip in a place full of ghosts.”

“This time too please take care. Beautiful Kale.”

Arazan rode the wolf together with Kale.

Because the tent is originally wide they could sufficiently go around the interior even riding the wolf.

Just as the group who finished preparation was about to depart.

“···Wait. Take me too!”

Suddenly Rahir shouted.

His head was placed like a vase on a table far from the throne.

Bran tilted his head.

“What?”

“Here is basically a tent I designed. Although the form was greatly twisted while Namoon remodeled it will definitely help. Please give an opportunity to make up for the mistake!”

Rahir’s voice was desperate.

A situation where the cut head demands companionship he had never experienced even in the game.

An easter egg? What condition did he achieve?

Briefly pondering Bran raised an eyebrow.

“Sure what.”

“Aa, really thank you!”

There was no particular reason to refuse.

As long as the senses are maintained the possibility of stabbing in the back was also none.

Bran picked up his head and extended it to Arazan.

“Come. You keep it.”

“Haha, please take care. Descendant.”

“What is this···!”

It was also an unexpected situation for Arazan.

Rahir shook his head.

“This. If holding it would be troublesome so just put it on the mane. As long as not falling it is fine anyway.”

“A-understood.”

Arazan did so.

She could not refuse the request of the respected ancestor.

Burying his face in the mane Rahir deeply inhaled.

“Tseup··· haa!”

“Kreung?!”

The startled wolf flinched.

Repeating breathing as if savoring Rahir muttered satisfactorily.

“Haaa··· comfortable. How long since riding on a wolf’s back.”

“H-hiiik···!”

“Do not fear too much. Pretty child. What else can a ghost with only the head remaining do besides babbling the tongue. Hathathat.”

Rahir gently smiled and soothed the startled Kale.

Whether the personality changed from the beginning is a feeling?

Although not that bad.

Tok.

Enjoying the softness of the mane Rahir rolled his tongue and made a sound.

“Ah, still there is something I can do.”

“Wh-what?”

“I’ll show now. Wait.”

Suddenly Rahir closed his eyes.

Between the dry lips a language that cannot be understood began to flow out.

Paaa···!

Centered on his crown light of a strange color spread.

A translucent window rose before Bran’s eyes.

『You entered the influence range of Rahir’s skill [Pride of the Beast].』

『While in the area Strength, Agility, Endurance greatly increase!』

『Rahir’s skill [Soul Harmony] activates!』

『The body’s recovery speed increases greatly. Resistance to all damage increases!』

That too one after another.

Bran’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“What···!”

Both are high-performance buffs.

Heat was spreading from deep inside the body.

The body tired from the speedrun was felt to recover quickly.

However the reason Bran was surprised was separate.

‘Skills humans cannot learn though?’

If the memory is not wrong both skills were techniques monsters possess.

Moreover very violent and hard to catch beast type monsters.

Rahir who turned like a mood light opened his mouth.

“I can absorb the ability of the target I ate. Tried after a long time, fortunately this kind of ability activates even without the body.”

“Absorbing ability···?”

“Yes. Being able to oppose that powerful empire was also thanks to this talent.”

Bran flinched.

It was the same as the ability Arazan possesses.

Information he did not know at all when facing as a boss.

He thought only Arazan was a mutant.

“But not anyone has it. It is a talent only an extremely small number are born with even in our clan.”

“······I also have the same talent.”

“Is that true?! Haha, good. There will be many things I can teach!”

Rahir smiled.

It was a look of being very glad, and Bran was also glad.

‘An income not even thought of.’

Because room to strengthen Arazan’s ability more than planned arose.

Perhaps he knows something like a secret technique I do not know.

Rahir said.

“Anyway let’s depart. If by my side you can quickly regain vitality. I’ll help with all my strength so you can definitely punish Namoon.”

Even without saying he was thinking of doing so.

Exiting the king’s room a path torn into five branches appeared.

Bran swept his forehead with his palm.

‘Not easy from the start.’

This is why he entered by piercing the outer wall not the entrance.

However since he ate this much for free he could not hope for more luck.

It was just as Bran was rummaging the memory as a player like a child matching a puzzle.

“Ah, here is familiar to the eyes. Go straight and turn right.”

“Yes?”

“Then a fork will come out right away. If turning left there you can go to the dining room, if turning right to the warehouse gathering treasures.”

Rahir’s voice was calm.

Just as following the instructions thinking surely a fork really came out.

“Aha. As expected.”

Rahir smiled.

The head placed alone was still softly shining.

Bran clenched his fist.

‘······This is just navigation.’

Perhaps, even the final difficulty might be eaten for free.