Chapter 14: The Jewel, the Haphuri, Life, and Death
In the Labyrinth of Immortality, the blade of the Reverse Dead indeed severed both of my arms and pierced my heart. At that moment, I was certain that I had died. My bodily functions had completely ceased, and my consciousness had vanished entirely.
Thus, I have no way of knowing exactly how much time passed before that… happened.
Within the depths of my once-blanked-out mind, I felt a strange, intense light piercing through my closed eyelids and a searing heat coursing through my entire body.
When I opened my eyes and sat up, I found a giant before me—its gray skin covered in armor-like muscles—the Reverse Dead, standing there, observing me.
I checked my body; to my surprise, not only was there no pain, but all my injuries had completely healed. Moreover, my Mana and stamina were both fully restored—no, it was more than that; I felt a power surging through me that I had never experienced before.
The Reverse Dead, intent on delivering the finishing blow, swung its sword down from above with all its might.
What a joke. The speed of that boss monster’s sword was far too slow. Still on the ground, I reached out and effortlessly caught the tip of the blade with my bare hands. I flicked the tip aside, seized the hilt, and swung it once—severing the hand that had held the sword. With a swift follow-up, I swung again—this time cutting off its remaining hand.
The Reverse Dead, which had shown no emotion until now, staggered back.
That was a perfect opening. I slipped beneath its massive body, grasped its thick legs—reinforced by repeated regeneration—and executed a Dragon Screw, twisting it to the ground. I quickly stood up and plunged the sword into the back of the Reverse Dead.
Finally—this was the decisive blow. After countless regenerations, the Reverse Dead finally succumbed, unable to regenerate any further, emitting light before vanishing.
The long confrontation with the Reverse Dead came to an end after a grueling one thousand eighty seconds.
After returning from the Labyrinth of Immortality, I finished reporting to the Guild and was sorting through my spoils at the inn when my gaze fell upon a certain orb I had obtained from a hidden room during my exploration.
Though it was called an ‘orb,’ this item was not spherical; it was a pure white tetrahedral crystal formed by combining four equilateral triangles.
As I held it in my palm and lightly toyed with it, I suddenly noticed something. When I had acquired it, all its faces had been pure white, but now one of the faces had been painted black.
According to the appraiser, it was called the Resurrection Orb. This item could resurrect the dead and enhance the physical and magical abilities of the resurrected by one tier, up to four times.
Presumably, with each use, a white triangle would turn black, and once fully used, all faces would become black.
Thanks to this Resurrection Orb, I had regained the life I had lost after being defeated by the Reverse Dead.
And now, I took out the tetrahedron, of which two faces had already turned black, and placed it in the hand of Kuroa, who lay unconscious in bed.
Though I had heard he was seventeen, he looked no older than twelve or thirteen, with small hands that belied his age. His blue veins were visible beneath his skin.
In any case, Kuroa was slender and delicate. Perhaps it was because he had been unable to eat due to the unending fatigue and worsening symptoms.
“It’s going to be alright now.”
I placed my hand on his forehead and prayed. May nothing torment him further.
“Sensei, I’m alright. Please perform Dispel.”
In response to my request, Sensei nodded solemnly.
With graceful steps, Sensei approached Kuroa, placing her hand on his forehead and gradually tracing it down to his neck, chest, waist, and legs.
“Prayer of the Beings
Haphuri of the Beings“
Sensei cast a fleeting glance at us.
“To those who wish for happiness through the incantation, grant them the happiness of the white rice field.
To those who wish for misfortune through the incantation, grant them the misfortune of the dark night.“
As she began to chant, I felt a warm light emanating from Sensei.
“To the way, the way shall be.
To the beneficial, the beneficial shall be.
To the harmful, the harmful shall be.
To the universal truth, the truth shall be.“
The light emitted from Sensei enveloped Kuroa—then, in the next moment, black lines branched out across Kuroa’s body. He let out a soundless scream of agony. I held back Kuroe, who was about to rush forward, telling him, “It’s alright.”
“In the name of the Great Mirror God, I command thee!“
The black lines that had surfaced on Kuroa’s skin writhed and began to peel away from him. They condensed, feeling sticky like tar, as if they had a will of their own, attempting to reattach to Kuroa’s body.
“Release! Release!
Be freed!
Return to the one who sought to take life from another!
Be freed!
Be freed!
Return to the one who sought to take life from another!“
The light emanating from Sensei did not allow the black lines to remain on Kuroa’s body. As she finished her chant, the black lines were repelled by the light, shooting upward and tracing eight arcs before vanishing far into the distance.
“Kuroa!!”
Shaking off my restraint, Kuroe rushed to his brother’s side.
“Kuroa! Wake up! Please! Kuroa!!”
He shook his lifeless brother’s shoulders and cried out.
“Why!! You said it would be alright—”
Turning back to us, Kuroe glared with tear-filled eyes.
“Kuroe, it’s alright. It’s almost here—look!”
From the tetrahedral item—the Resurrection Orb—that I had placed in Kuroa’s hand, an overwhelming light burst forth. It was the same fierce yet warm light I had felt right after my defeat by the Reverse Dead.
As the light gradually subsided, I could hear Kuroa’s quiet breathing. It was a healthy, rhythmic sound.
Not only that, but the expression of anguish that had been etched on his face moments ago was now serene, and his previously pale complexion was now flushed with color.
Was this a dream or reality? Could I believe it? Kuroe gently touched his brother’s face.
Eventually, it seemed Kuroa accepted this as reality, and the dam of emotions he had been holding back broke, causing him to cry out like a child.
“What on earth did you do?”
After a while, once Kuroe had calmed down, he sniffled and turned to me, still wiping his nose. His question was understandable.
“I used the Resurrection Orb.”
I held up the tetrahedron that had been in Kuroa’s hand to the light illuminating the room. One more face had turned black, leaving only one pure white triangle remaining.
“This thing not only resurrects the dead but also enhances all abilities by two tiers in the process.”
I tossed it lightly into the air, spinning it on my finger. Kuroe’s eyes widened in shock.
“Such an item—?”
Seeing me nod, he gaped in disbelief. Eventually, a troubled expression crossed his face as he closed his eyes for a moment.
“You don’t need to worry. As per our original agreement, as long as you help with this matter, I don’t need anything else.”
At my response, Kuroe’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’ll give you anything I can repay you with!”
“That’s fine. Just that feeling is enough—”
“That won’t do! First, I will disband the Clan!”
“W-What are you saying?”
“I’ll start by disbanding the Clan and sorting out the finances! Excluding the payments owed to the party from the Old Capital (Bienetta) that participated in this matter, I will give you all my assets! And I will work for you for the rest of my life!!”
He had the intense gaze of someone who had made up their mind. He snorted, as if trying to muster up some strange enthusiasm.
So, I lightly tapped his forehead.
“Ouch! What was that for?!”
“Calm down.”
Kuroe rubbed his now-red forehead and groaned, “Ugh.”
“I’m going to say this again. I don’t want anything. As long as you help with the subjugation of the Sealed Domain, that’s more than enough.”
“But the item you used isn’t just a rare item; it’s practically a national treasure. It’s so rare that trying to assign a monetary value to it feels embarrassing. What should I do?”
“You don’t need to do anything.”
I’m the type who uses the Last Elixir without hesitation. Saving it for a crucial moment only to regret it later is the height of foolishness. Even if I hadn’t needed to use it this time, I would have undoubtedly encountered a similar situation somewhere down the line and used it then. More importantly, I had unexpectedly taken a liking to the brother I had just met.
“Your brother mentioned the Clan’s policy before losing consciousness—”
—”Big brother, please help them.”
—”We, our Clan, have always reached out to those in need. That’s what we’ve been here for.”
“Honestly, even I think that sounds overly sweet. But you know what? I love that kind of sweetness. So, keep doing what you’ve been doing in the Old Capital (Bienetta). If it helps someone out there, then I’m more than satisfied.”
It was as sweet as honey. Yet, it was a sweetness I adored. Even while living in Japan, I often felt the weight of injustice. In this world, it was even more pronounced. I had endured enough hardships myself and had witnessed many others suffering.
I understood that the world doesn’t turn solely on pretty words. You can’t fill your stomach just with righteousness.
But still, isn’t it okay for someone, within their means, to aspire to those pretty ideals? That’s how I felt.
And then there was one more thing—
At that moment, Kuroa stirred awake with a soft, “Mmm, uuh.”
“Kuroa!” his brother rushed to his side.
I didn’t need to say anything, but witnessing the deep bond between the brothers left me with no choice but to use the Resurrection Orb.
—”Sorry, big brother! I ate your pudding! Teehee!”
No matter what, little siblings are ridiculously adorable to their older brothers.
Back then, Kuroe had declared that he would give not just his wealth but even his life for his brother. His words resonated with a truth that shook my heart.
“I feel the same way.”
Seeing the brothers, who had been suffering in despair, embrace each other in tears, I whispered to myself, filled with emotion, where no one else could hear.