After purchasing a map at the guild, Yuda and Jeanne immediately set out for the village two days away. They worried the city gate might be closed, but after speaking to a soldier, it was opened. The soldiers’ gazes, looking at them as if they were lunatics, lingered in their minds.
Indeed, walking on foot in such weather rather than traveling by carriage was hardly sane. The people of Kalypso also respected individual autonomy much like their sorcerers, so after a brief attempt to dissuade them, they said nothing more. Walking through the rain-soaked path, it was clear why the soldiers had looked at them that way.
Waiting for the rain to stop was also comical. Given that it hadn’t stopped for ten days, it might be the dungeon’s influence. Yuda lifted his dripping robe slightly to glance at the sky. If only the dark clouds would drift elsewhere and share their rain, but they stubbornly lingered overhead, pouring steadily.
“I really hate rainy days,” Jeanne said, her tone laced with irritation.
“Me too,” Yuda replied, sighing in agreement.
Trekking through the muddy, slick path was utterly exhausting.
Splash!
At first, they avoided puddles, but now they didn’t bother. Mud and unknown grasses clung to their soles. Thanks to the code’s effect, Yuda’s gear repelled dirt, odors, and moisture over time, but Jeanne wasn’t so fortunate. At least the umbrella he’d given her kept her head dry.
“How long until we arrive you think?” Jeanne asked.
“Well, arriving isn’t the issue.. sleeping is. We could pitch a tent in this weather, but it’d only keep the rain off, nothing more.”
“Ugh…!”
Lying on wet ground in pouring rain was the worst, but not impossible.
The 〈Inventory〉 held plenty of dry supplies, and starting a fire in the rain was feasible, so it wouldn’t be that bad.
But Jeanne was frowning, seeming to disagree.
“I hope we find at least a shabby house on the way to shelter from the rain,” she said.
That would be nice.
And as if by a lie, a dilapidated house stood in the distance.
Its shape was unmistakable through the pouring rain.
Could things work out so easily? Or was it a mirage born of desperate hope, like an oasis in a desert?
To be sure, Yuda turned to Jeanne.
“Jeanne, is that house only visible to me?”
“No, I see it too,” she replied.
Her voice brightened briefly but soon turned skeptical.
“But isn’t it odd to find a house in a place like this?”
“Not really. It could be a rest stop built by villagers traveling to and from the castle, like the base we set up in the eastern forest.”
Yet, looking at the house sent a chill down his neck.
It wasn’t just the cold rain—it felt like the eerie sensation of sharing ghost stories with friends.
Wait. Weren’t the monsters in dungeons and ruined villages wraiths?
That would explain this eerie feeling.
His sharpened senses in this world had never been wrong.
There were definitely wraiths in that house.
What to do…
But the temptation of a comfortable sleep was too great to bypass the house.
Since they had to fight wraiths eventually, he resumed walking, treating it as practice.
As they approached the house, Yuda’s heart suddenly raced.
Whoa, shit.
Writhing shapes on the roof were grinning at them.
Not just one but it was several.
He felt the same tension as when he first encountered a black wolf.
Seeing ghosts from movies and comics with his own eyes was astonishing.
But his heartbeat soon steadied.
He’d never been so grateful for his 〈Player〉 and 〈Warrior’s Spirit〉traits.
The wraiths, meeting his gaze, chuckled and slithered into the building.
Yuda stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong?” Jeanne asked.
“Jeanne.”
“Yes, Yuda?”
“Have you ever seen a ghost?”
“No,” she shook her head.
Her expression under the umbrella seemed to ask why he’d bring that up.
“You’re not afraid of them, right?”
“No, I’m not afraid. But why are you asking?”
Thankfully, her eyes showed no fear.
Yuda pointed at the house.
“Look at the roof. See those shapes through the rain?”
Some had slipped inside, but a few remained on the roof.
Jeanne’s eyes narrowed as she saw them.
“Yes, I see them. They’re grinning… in a very unsettling way.”
“They’re wraiths. They hold grudges against the living. What do you want to do? No, the answer’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Sleeping outside in this weather is insane. Walking this far was crazy enough, but I at least want to sleep comfortably out of the rain.”
Yuda nodded, satisfied with her response.
Yeah, no matter how crazy, sleeping on wet ground wasn’t an option.
“But I heard wraiths are formless. How do you plan to deal with them?”
“A priest would be nice, but we don’t need one. Infuse a weapon with mana, and you can beat them just fine.”
Plus, their mana resistance was quite high compared to others of their level.
There was little need to worry about wraith attacks.
Such reckless confidence could be dangerous, but Yuda had insurance: if he died, he could return to the past.
Oh, right, I need to collect the fragment too.
His current save point was during an attack by the boss Ea, so dying and reviving would trap him in a loop of death.
Having to face an enemy he thought he’d never see again was grim, but breaking the dagger bought in Aslan would yield the tenth fragment, so there was no need to worry.
He’d avoided collecting fragments to keep Jeanne in the dark, but with half a year left before she returned to the Byron Empire, and plans to acquire at least two more fragments, hiding it was becoming difficult.
He glanced at her status window.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Jeanne Atruare]
[Title: None]
[True Name: Blue Moon Wolf]
[Level: 20]
[Class: Blue Lance Knight (B)]
[Race: Human]
[Strength: 30(D) / Potential A]
[Health: 37(D) / Potential S]
[Agility: 27(D) / Potential B]
[Mana: 37(D) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 52(C) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 8(F) / Potential A]
[Knowledge: 18(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 56(C) / Potential C] ◀ Special
[Favorability: 33 (Interested)]
[Trust: 62 (Friend)]
「Traits 3/5」
[Blue Moon] - Rank: A
[Wolf’s Blessing] - Rank: A
[Apprentice Blue Lance Knight] - Rank: D
「Skills 4/5」
[Guardian Spirit] - Rank: A
[Chivalry] - Rank: B
[Imperial Shield Technique - Blue Lance Knight] - Rank: B
[Imperial Lance Technique - Blue Lance Knight] - Rank: B
──────────────────────────────
Her trust is higher than I thought.
But with Jeanne, trust wasn’t a major concern.
Jeanne Atruoir, with her steadfast convictions, never betrayed Kain in the game despite multiple chances to claim fragments.
Since much of the game’s lore carried over, revealing the fragments to her likely wouldn’t cause issues.
Slowing his pace to walk side by side with Jeanne toward the house, he spoke.
“Do you have something to say?” she asked.
“Jeanne, you remember this, right?”
He pulled the dagger from his 〈Inventory〉 and showed it to her.
Jeanne nodded with a dubious expression.
It looked like a sharp and fancy dagger from outside, better suited for decoration than combat.
“I still don’t get it, Yuda. Was that really worth the price?”
“You’ll see its worth now.”
“…Sorry for being negative, but is it some kind of fragment? Or effective against wraiths?”
Yuda feigned a surprised expression playfully.
“How did you know?”
“What?”
Her look, as if she’d misheard, made him chuckle softly.
“You’re right. It’s a fragment and a weapon deadly to wraiths. A graze might be enough to kill them.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“I’m not joking.”
Glancing at her confused expression, he used 〈Shadow Sorcery Form 4 - Lesser Black Gear Crafting〉 with his left hand, crafting a heavy dagger. Or rather, a blunt weapon too bulky to call a dagger.
“Wait, what are you doing, Yuda!”
Yuda paused as he was about to strike the dagger.
“As you can see, I’m going to break the dagger.”
“What, all of a sudden…! Are you possessed by a wraith or something?”
Yuda burst out laughing.
As if.
With the 〈Player〉trait, he was immune to mental attacks.
But to Jeanne, unaware of this fact, it was reasonable to suspect sudden possession.
Especially in this pouring rain, primal fear might stir.
“Don’t worry. The wraiths haven’t even come close yet.”
Jeanne stepped back, her eyes wary.
It must’ve been shocking, but witnessing someone about to destroy an item bought for 15 gold without using it would make anyone question their sanity.
Yuda raised the blunt weapon overhead and struck the dagger with force.
Crack!
A single blow reduced its durability by 5, shattering the blade like glass.
No, it was merely glass coated to look metallic.
As the dagger shattered, unlike when he obtained 〈Carpe Diem〉, a strange magical wave emanated.
[Acquired the Tenth Fragment - Altemia.]
[Saved revival point based on current location and time.]
[Consumed save point has been restored.]
[Collected two fragments. The world doesn’t yet know you possess fragments, but those who hold fragments may instinctively sense you. Strength, Health, Agility, Mana, and Mana Resistance each increase by 1.]
──────────────────────────────
[Name: Tenth Fragment - Altemia]
[Rank: Legendary _ Sword]
[Equipment: Dagger]
[Attack Power: 125]
[Effects]
Strength +2, Agility +3, Charisma +2
Health Recovery Speed +300%
[Description]
The tenth piece of Ferlnern’s heart fragments. A sharp dagger with a red blade. The lord who couldn’t transform into a beast, plagued by a frail body, crafted this dagger recalling his ailments.
It absorbs others’ vitality to grant immunity to diseases and near-immortality, though it achieved about 70% of its intended effect. With the help of the third lord, Ibn Hayyan, it was imbued with the power of “Division,” later serving as the basis for the twenty-second fragment, “Red Petal.”
The sixth lord coveted this fragment for its ability to steal vitality. Its primary authority is “Blood,” with a trace of “Division.”
“Hmm, I like this. Won’t you give it to me?”
“What’s a dead guy going to do with a weapon that absorbs vitality? No way. Get lost.”
“That’s harsh.” —Conversation between the 4th and 6th lords.
- Liberation (Active): Consumes 5% of health to release blood from Altemia’s blade, dealing area damage in various ways with great power.
- One Yet Ten Altemia (Active): Consumes 1% of health to summon a dagger identical to Altemia in form, size, weight, and attack. When all ten are used, the fakes vanish, and the real Altemia returns.
- Domination (Active): Exerts control over unclaimed blood, using blood from others’ wounds to attack.
- Immortality (Active): Not true resurrection, but monstrously boosts physical recovery, scaling with the “Vault” level.
- Vitality Absorption (Passive): Absorbs the vitality of stabbed or slashed targets to restore health or repair the body.
└ Bleeding (Passive): Sure Slash! Reduces the target’s regeneration, increasing bleeding.
- Dagger Proficiency Increase (Passive): Boosts throwing accuracy, critical hit chance, and damage for dagger-related skills.
└ Dagger Attack Power Increase (Passive): Attack power increases based on the Vault’s level.
- Vault (Passive): The Vault’s level rises based on the quantity and quality of blood absorbed after combat begins.
- Disease and Infection Immunity (Passive): Grants absolute immunity to diseases and infections from absorbing vitality, though this drops to 60% against the sixth lord, Bel-Terza.
- Tenth of Ferlnern’s Twenty-Four Hearts (Passive): The power of the tenth heart is “Blood.”
- Inheritance (Passive): Collecting all 24 of Ferlnern’s heart-crafted armaments allows you to inherit the Demon King Ferlnern’s power.
──────────────────────────────
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Yuda Arshe]
[Title: Little Hero of Serenia Castle (2)]
[Level: 23]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden_A)]
[Revival Count: 2]
[Strength: 42(C) / Potential A]
[Health: 42(C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 44(C) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 44(C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 53(C) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 5(F) / Potential A]
[Knowledge: 17(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 84(A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 8]
──────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s Note***
Holding coupons hostage, you say? Hah, that’s unforgivable! Alright, I’ll sacrifice myself to free those hostages. I’ll hurry and post the next chapter soon!
Q. How old is Jeanne? Around 20?
A. Exactly 20.
Q. What happens if you save right before an unavoidable death situation? Do you keep reviving and suffering endlessly?
A. Yep, in that case, maybe Sian will figure out a way to fix it!?
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