## Chapter 133: Awakening
"I am that 'Angel Slaying Sword' that you gave a messy appearance, messy attributes, and a messy name."
The Holy Sword's attitude changed so quickly it was practically beyond human comprehension. In just a moment, it completed the... uh... evolution from a sage to a shrew?
Facing this drastic change, I was momentarily struck dumb, my mouth wide open. It took me a great effort to finally squeeze out a sentence.
"You... you are, that Sword in my Stash."
"Precisely."
"But it wasn't this shape. My Angel Slaying Sword was much better looking than you." My mind was still a bit muddled, and I accidentally blurted out what I was thinking.
"You... what did you say... I..."
The Holy Sword's tone, which had gone from low to sharply high, was filled with anger.
"Ahem, forget it, let's get to the point."
It drew out the word "I" for a long time, then suddenly changed its tone, coughed a few times, and spoke as if a magnanimous person overlooking a petty one's mistake.
It must be changing the subject, right? Sure enough, are you also feeling insecure about your plain appearance? What a pathetic guy, I looked at it sympathetically, not wanting to provoke it further.
"Wait..."
I said loudly. There was something wrong with its words.
Given form, attributes, and name by you. The name was fine, I only named it after finding it in the Stash. But the form and attributes were clearly given to it on my computer in the original World. Why did a Sword I casually made in the Modifier inexplicably become some kind of Holy Sword? From its tone, it seemed to have existed for a long time.
However, none of that was the most important thing.
"You know my original World? You know the way back?"
I asked in a hoarse voice, not caring about revealing the fact that I was a transmigrator. I was like someone grasping a life raft now, I couldn't worry about that much. From another perspective, its form didn't give me much sense of danger, making me feel that even if I was exposed, it wouldn't be a big problem.
"Yes, I know you came from another World, although I don't know what World..." the Holy Sword said leisurely.
"But. Do you truly want to go back that much?"
"Uh...?"
Its next sentence seemed to strike the most vulnerable spot in my heart, making me gasp for breath.
Yes, did I really look forward to going back that much? In the original World, there were familiar skyscrapers, cars, subways, a warm home, convenient appliances. And the games and anime I was obsessed with. Most importantly, it was very safe there. I didn't have to worry about being killed the next moment.
But, but besides that. In that original World, what else did I have? My parents were dead, I didn't have many friends, just the kind who played games together and discussed anime. Houses, money, appliances, etc., were just inanimate objects...
And in this World? Although it was strange and full of the threat of death, here I had the person I loved most, close friends and elders. Comrades who had faced life and death together, the Amazon who was like a sister, and those who cared about me, Shala, Lal, Daoge, Gef, Auntie Shali... Their faces flashed through my mind one by one.
I suddenly had a feeling of being torn. Like being on a tiny skiff in a great wave. There was the danger of capsizing at any moment. I had always yearned so much to return to land. But now I saw that the shore was actually not far away, yet it was filled with man-eating Beasts.
"You don't need to worry about that. Just tell me if I can go back."
I suppressed the jumbled thoughts in my heart and said loudly and irritably.
"..."
"I'm sorry... I am powerless..." After a moment of silence, the Holy Sword said in a low voice.
"Is... is that so?"
I was stunned for a long time, and finally, as if all strength had drained away, I knelt on the ground. I felt like I should be very sad, so sad it would tear my lungs out, but in reality, I was far less sad than I had imagined. This was the confusing part for me. Perhaps, not having to choose was also a kind of happiness.
"Forget it then. Let's get to the point. First, shouldn't you tell me everything about yourself, and the purpose of calling me here?" I weakly raised my head. The feeling of being lost and wistful churning in my heart made me instantly lose the motivation to speak.
"..."
This time the Holy Sword was silent for a long time. We stared at each other for a long time (a strange scene, considering one of us was a sword), and finally, it spoke.
"Actually, I've forgotten almost everything from before..."
"Pfft..."
I almost choked on my own breath. That feeling was like being invited to a friend's house, only to be met with his question, "What did you come to see me for?" and feeling utterly exasperated.
"Are you out of your mind?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"I can't help it. After so long, I've forgotten almost everything..."
There was a hint of sadness in the Holy Sword's explanation, which made me pause slightly.
Yes, this thing that called itself a Holy Sword was very likely left behind from the End Battlefield. How long had it been since the End Battlefield? Even with the best memory, it would probably have forgotten everything by now.
"Alright then, just find some reason from the memories left in your mind and give it to me."
Although I felt a bit sorry for it, that didn't make me forgive it. A person could forget, but for a Sword to forget, it was a bit much for my shallow common sense and logic.
It paused, then cleared its throat. I felt as if I saw it looking up at the sky, with arms spread wide like a great roc.
"This is a great Prophecy!!... right?"
After saying the first sentence in a very pompous and elevated tone, it added an uncertain "...right?" several seconds later.
Should I knock on its head to see if it's stuffed with straw or dung?
"Keep talking."
Seeing that it had fallen silent again, I urged it impatiently. I was already quite immune to the clichés like prophecies that were often seen in adventure games and hot-blooded anime.
"Don't bother me. I'm trying to remember."
It roared back indignantly.
"Ahem..."
It cleared its neutral voice again, which was impossible to tell if it was male or female (I didn't know what gender-describing words should be used for a Sword).
"The ordinary prince, holding an invincible Holy Sword that shook heaven and earth and made ghosts weep, met seven beautiful princesses in the forest, and then..."
"Wait..." I raised my hand to interrupt.
That sounds a bit familiar. I seemed to have some impression of it when chatting with Shala, but it was very vague. As is well known, in this Dark Continent where Heroes are glorified, those melodramatic hero novels have become terrifyingly rampant. They're probably tens of thousands of times more numerous than all the wish-fulfillment novels in the original World combined.
Regardless of whether I had an impression or not, the content itself made me very uncomfortable. What was with those shameless adjectives? And why was there such a suggestive plot with seven princesses? What was the basis for that?
"I say, Everina..."
"It's Everia..." It yelled angrily.
"Don't just give me a female name. What's your basis?"
"I think your mouth looks more like a woman's... Oh, sorry, turns out you're a man."
"I feel like you're mocking me with that sentence..." The Holy Sword paused, saying very perceptively.
"But. I'm not a man either..."
"..."
"Don't look at me with sympathetic eyes..."
It roared angrily.
"And don't look at me with disdainful eyes..."
"..."
"And especially not with pitying eyes, you bastard..."
I have to say, its perception was surprisingly sharp.
"Then what do you want me to do? I know, you must have played the role of a comedian in the High Heavens before, a funny actor with the appearance of a Holy Sword, right..."
I suddenly remembered. Originally, those Angels were created by God on a whim because he was lonely. These bird-people who called themselves gods were sent down as God's servants. Maybe this Sword was really God's personal stand-up comedian. If that's the case, then its identity was truly extraordinary.
"Hoho~~, although what you said is completely wrong, that feeling is right, yes, that's the look..."
I looked at it with eyes full of admiration, which instantly gave it a floating feeling of satisfaction.
Because of this, I moved a few steps closer, wanting to take a good look at this Holy Sword. Maybe I could even pull it out of the ground and see its true form. What shape was the tip of the Sword? Maybe it was unexpectedly connected to a huge hammer.
However, the next moment, I regretted this decision. When I got about a dozen centimeters away from it, I was naturally "bumped" and bounced back. I rolled several times on the ground with a "shasha" sound, sliding dozens of meters away before stopping.
Turns out it hurts in dreams too.
"What are you doing..." I said resentfully.
"I wasn't doing anything. You came closer yourself and were bounced away."
The Holy Sword's tone carried a hint of a chuckle, and then it explained very innocently.
"There's a setting like that? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"How was I supposed to know you would suddenly come closer? And, ultimately, isn't it because your strength is too weak? You don't even have the strength to get close to me."
"Isn't this a dream?"
"Even in a dream, your strength is still insufficient..."
"..."
That was truly an infuriating answer.
"So, what exactly did you want with me?"
Finally, I reluctantly returned to the main topic.
"Actually, I really can't remember. I just suddenly felt a connection with you and pulled you in. This might be the last time..."
The Holy Sword suddenly spoke in the tone it had used when it first opened its mouth, which made me feel a bit constrained.
"Perhaps. I just wanted to find someone to talk to, even if it was just to hear some other sound. I'm tired of looking at this land..."
I was silent for a while, then plopped down onto the piled-up corpses of the Six-winged, and tried hard to speak.
"Alright then, I'll keep you company and chat. Hmm, what should I talk about? Do you want to know about my original World, or the current situation? I can tell you about either."
"Thank you, if only that were possible, how wonderful it would be. But, time is running out..."
It replied in a tone that was both happy and disappointed.
"Don't speak, listen to me..."
"Actually, I still remember some things. But, I don't think knowing these things would be of any benefit to you right now..."
I nodded, not feeling angry because of its concealment. Instead, I felt a sense of relief. My curiosity wasn't strong, and I avoided things that were useless and would only increase my responsibility and burden. Yes, what I yearned for was a life of going out to fight Monsters, earning a little money to support myself and live.
"Well then, time is also running out..."
As if it had read my thoughts from my eyes, it smiled reassuringly. This was the first time I had heard its laughter. It had a very serene and elegant feeling.
"It's alright. If you truly want to help me, then quickly increase your strength. When you can pick up that Sword, maybe you'll be able to communicate with me..."
It used "that Sword" to describe itself, seemingly not acknowledging that it was its True Form. What a proud Sword. Even such a brilliant appearance, such overpowered attributes, aren't they worth anything in your eyes?
Then, the World in my eyes slowly began to blur. Its upright figure twisted and spun before my eyes. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness.
"Ah..."
A faint sigh echoed across the empty End Battlefield.
"How many years has it been? I thought I had forgotten how to make a sound, but..." It looked at the empty Battlefield and said with a bitter smile.
"It seems even lonelier now..."
Redeemer? Ah, I forgot to ask his name. But, he's a very interesting young man. Although his mouth is a bit sharp, his heart is very kind.
It's truly something to look forward to.
The next moment, the entire Corpse Mountain where it stood suddenly shook. The Angel Corpses piled beneath it, said to never perish, all scattered like ashes. The true form of the entire mountain also appeared with it.
Buried within the Corpse Mountain was a giant Golden Skeleton. It maintained a half-crouching posture on the ground, skull facing upwards, jaw open, in a posture of howling at the sky. Behind it grew a pair of incomparably huge Bone Wings, radiating brilliant golden light. That was the second color between heaven and earth, that had been hidden.
But, it was just Remains. Because the Holy Sword was plunged into its upturned forehead bone, quietly, quietly...
Redeemer, an Existence that, like me, breaks the "Rule". My Master, will you continue the sorrow of the End, or create a new History...
Opening my groggy eyes, what slowly came into view was a dim little Room. Alright, that's normal enough. I wanted to rub my eyes, but I found that my hand was tightly held. It was a warm, soft, and slightly rough little hand. From the slightly damp sweat coming from the palm, I could tell that this gentle little hand was holding on very tightly, and for a long time.
I slowly turned my head, and a peerlessly beautiful face, showing both joy and annoyance, slowly appeared before me. The surprise and tenderness in those sea-blue eyes seemed as if they could melt me. In the dim Room, under the faint candlelight, that fair face was tinged with a dim, soft hue, making her look as if she was radiating a goddess-like holy light. For a moment, I was so stunned by her beauty I couldn't speak...
After a long while, I tilted my head and said in a confused tone.
"Who... are you..."
Lal and the Barbarian brothers were drinking and bragging in the Bar. The battle in Vitas Village had ended yesterday, and their good brother Wu had also returned a few days ago... uh... although he was carried back by Lady Kashya. Although he had been unconscious ever since, since Lady Kashya said he was safe and sound, they put their worries aside.
Moreover, according to Lady Kashya, their brave and strong good brother, with the strength of one person, had taken care of the mastermind behind it this time - the Demon Lord Belial, who had just appeared on the Dark Continent (the news of Demon Lord Belial's appearance in the world was nothing to hide. And it couldn't be hidden for long anyway). This was truly surprising and joyful good news for them. Although they felt a sense of unease about Belial's appearance, after all, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, it wasn't their concern to worry about Belial, so they were more happy and proud for their good brother.
Daoge, the big mouth and king of bragging, was currently frothing at the mouth as he bragged to the Adventurers about how his good brother had beaten Belial senseless, utterly defenseless. His nimble mouth was as fast and smooth as a machine gun. Anyone who didn't know would truly think he had witnessed it firsthand. I have to say, Daoge's bragging skills were truly impressive. Even though everyone knew there wasn't much truth in it, they were still completely engrossed. If he were in the original World, he might have become a top-tier writer.
"Ah—ah—"
Just as Daoge was talking about the most exciting part, about how Belial, who was as ugly and ferocious as a crippled Monster (one could imagine his lie would soon be exposed), was beaten bruised and swollen, a piercing scream, loud enough to drown out even his loudspeaker-like voice, came from a distance in a certain direction. The three of them exchanged glances. Why does that sound so familiar? Could it be...
They shot up to their feet with a "whoosh", leaving behind the extremely curious Adventurers, and rushed straight towards it amidst the faint protests of the Bar owner.
With a "bang", the door was rudely kicked open by Daoge. He spread his arms wide, making a gesture of embrace, his mouth also wide open, seemingly wanting to give a warm and enthusiastic greeting with his loud voice that sounded like a wolf's howl. But unfortunately, the next moment, his voice got stuck in his throat. He maintained his wide-open mouth, standing on one leg, with his arms spread wide like a great roc. His large, tattooed face was flushed red from holding it in, looking quite comical, but he just didn't dare let out the sound in his throat.
What's wrong? Lal and Gef, who were behind him, exchanged curious glances. This isn't like Daoge's usual behavior, is it!? So they squeezed their heads through the gap between Daoge and the door and curiously peeked inside.
Their 'good brother' they spoke of, the brave and powerful demon-slaying warrior - Wu, was sprawled on the bed, and a blonde woman was kneeling on his waist. This vicious woman was kneeling on their good brother Wu's waist, leaning slightly forward, one hand gripping Wu's neck, cradling the back of his head in her arms, and the other hand fiercely hooked his two legs, locking their good brother into a U-shape. That ambiguous pose, rather than sensual, was better described as painful.
Could this be the legendary god-tier self-created skill - Queen's U-shaped Lock?
The three of them unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva and sympathetically rubbed their own lower backs. Just looking at this pose, it looked like it hurt a lot. One could imagine what kind of pain their good brother was currently suffering.
But even so, they didn't dare stop it, they didn't even make a sound.
"Hmm...?"
The blonde woman, with the corner of her eye, lightly glanced at them. Her fair, delicate nostrils lightly let out a questioning tone filled with palpable authority. Those eyes as deep blue as the ocean seemed as if a Category 12 storm was raging within them, with terrifying waves that swallowed the sky and earth, making one feel as if they were inside it, utterly terrified.
They instantly felt like they were plunged into an icebox, their bodies instinctively standing straighter than poplars. Their eyes didn't linger for even a second on their 'good brother's' pleading gaze, and immediately lifted them high.
"That was truly rude of us, milady. Please rest assured, we didn't see anything."
Indeed, they were the most loyal soldiers under the Queen's command. After giving a sharp salute, they said loudly. Then they lowered their gaze almost imperceptibly and found that their Queen had stopped looking at them, but was putting all her energy into the 'good brother' beneath her. It could be seen from his even more piercing screams that her strength seemed to have increased by a few points.
They sighed with relief as if they had been pardoned for a great crime. Then, amidst those piercing screams, they decisively turned around. Daoge didn't forget to close the door tightly. Truly a good soldier.
Amidst a heartbroken and furious cry of "Traitors!" from inside the Room, the three of them walked away nonchalantly. Even Gef, who seemed honest and reliable, didn't forget to hypocritically wipe away a tear.
Wu, don't worry. We will definitely take good care of Shala. Next year on this day, when we visit your grave, we absolutely won't let you see her crying face.
The three of them looked up at the fleeting shooting star, thinking silently in their hearts.
"Haa... Huhu..."
I was breathing heavily, uncertainly rubbing my waist, which felt almost broken - will it really still be usable later?
However, I still couldn't get up. Sister Sha'er Na was still sitting on my lower back, and didn't seem to have any intention of letting me go. Ugh~~
Just as I was waiting in fear and trepidation for the next punishment, I suddenly felt something dripping onto my hair. I almost immediately turned my head and glanced at Sister.
She had bent down, her hands were supporting the sides of my head. That elegant, beautiful, and moving face was facing me, her head full of golden long hair hung straight down my cheeks like a waterfall.
Most importantly, a barely perceptible wet streak ran down her cheek, which almost instantly made my heart clench with worry.
I reached out my hands, ran them through her soft hair, and gently put them around her neck. Then, with a slight pull, she didn't resist. Like a kitten after a tantrum, she meekly let me pull her into my embrace...
"You bastard brother, won't you be satisfied until you scare me to death?"
She murmured softly in my ear, her voice as faint as a gentle breeze.
(end of chapter)