Chapter 72 : Chapter 72

Chapter 72 - A Blue-Haired Person in the Land of Black Hair

Two Youngest Sons created two pairs of bone marrows behind their backs.

One in the real world.

The other in the mindscape.

Sitting cross-legged, I focused with all my concentration.

My five senses grew distant, and my mind became faint.

Beast. Seamless Recovery. Prolonged Life. False Creation.

「Six Paths, Path of the Beast」

Regression

A safety measure was created by the Magic Sword.

Furthermore, that measure was continuously overlaid, preparing for dozens, even hundreds of accidents.

Because I was about to cause those accidents myself.

[The preparations are complete. Feel free to die until you’re sick of it.]

No need to worry.

I was planning to do just that.

‘The curse of the forest disappeared the moment the witch died. She became a clean corpse.’

But I couldn't leave her like this.

If I did, the Forest Witch’s life would end, a family would end, and the quest would end.

I had no intention of letting that happen.

‘Witches don’t die easily. I know your life is tougher than the ancient trees raised by the dark elves. I’ll help you, so hurry up and get up.’

Two pairs of bone marrows folded their fingers one by one.

The same went for my two hands between the pairs.

The hand seals drawn by the first Family Head when he created them from ancient sorcery.

They also existed in the Path of the Human.

Healing and recovery.

Mercy and salvation.

And consideration.

These were what the first Family Head emphasized when using the Path of the Human.

In the land of demons and their worshippers.

Even in that living hell.

He believed that there was light in the human heart.

Good Karma and Evil Karma. Fruits of Suffering and Fruits of Joy. Retribution.

「Six Paths, Path of the Human」

Reversal

“……!”

My head throbbed as if it would shatter.

The stress that would have normally melted my brain was barely nullified by the Path of the Beast.

Originally, the Reversal of the Path of the Human was not a technique to revive the dead.

Nowhere in the Six Paths was there such a technique.

‘It’s originally a technique to pull a departing soul back into the body of the deceased, but the soul's energy is just too immense.’

The fact that I hadn't taken the Spirit Sorcery skill tree was also a problem.

‘If I hadn't raised my soul resistance with elixirs whenever I had the chance, it would have been more dangerous than this.’

It was a moment where the small preparations I had made shone through.

The pride in my past efforts was short-lived.

‘Found it.’

The soul that had departed from the corpse and was already about to fly through the roof.

I grabbed it by the trouser legs and pulled it back, settling it into the corpse once more.

It was already no longer an ordinary corpse.

For a corpse, it had regained its own soul, not someone else’s.

That was by no means a common occurrence.

But that didn't mean the job was over either.

‘The soul’s energy is strong, so I have more time. I have to finish before it’s all used up.’

Now was the time to really brace myself.

“Enad.”

[I know.]

One of the bone marrows stretched out like a branch and touched the cold corpse.

The bone marrow on the opposite side attached the severed head to the cut surface.

The power of the Path of the Beast seeped into the flesh through the bone marrow that touched it.

「Six Paths, Path of the Beast」

Human Transmutation

The cut line slowly began to mend.

The gap gradually shrank, connected, and soon sealed cleanly.

My forearm vibrated faintly.

It was the forearm on which the Magic Sword Enad was engraved in runes.

“Creating things is quite fun, isn’t it?”

[…Just do your job.]

I chuckled softly and took the next step.

It might be the last step.

That’s why it was an even bigger step.

“Thankfully, support is arriving.”

Inside, the lights were dimmed to a dusky glow.

Hearts of various sizes were delivered through the shadows.

[What do you plan to do with those? You kept your mouth shut about this part yesterday too.]

“It’s a hassle to explain it with words.”

[Couldn’t you give a slight explanation to your partner in fate?]

“You’re quite a coward, you know.”

[I was born not too long ago. There’s a lot I want to see.]

A romantic reason for a magic sword.

Of course, my own reason wasn't much different.

“I’ll scan the Forest Witch’s life with the Path of the Human. While doing that, I’ll learn the Curse of the Forest, cast it on myself, and then forcibly break it.”

[…?]

“A lot of Yin energy will be generated in the process. I will offer those hearts as a sacrifice to prevent myself from dying from that Yin energy.”

The rest was simple.

The massive amount of Yin energy generated.

The Curse of the Forest, which I would break to remove the shackles and modify to obtain only its life force.

“All I have to do is infuse these two into the corpse to resurrect her, and it’s done.”

[…I shouldn’t have listened. My anxiety just went up.]

Enad said reproachfully.

[You call that a plan? Even this great witch gave up on breaking it and chose to have her neck cut by you. And you think you can break it?]

He was right.

It was a valid opinion.

The stories that followed the name of the Forest Witch.

The second great witch to appear in this world.

A sorcerer who bound herself to the forest and approached immortality.

Of course, the Magic Sword knew nothing of such talk.

But its eyes were perfectly functional.

[When I saw her directly. When I entered this space. Even when I saw the puppet.]

“Did she feel the same as the Family Head?”

[…….]

I had guessed the answer.

And I would also guess the answer to the problem before me.

Because the right answer could be the wrong answer, or the right answer, depending on one's perspective.

Enad had spoken with that level of perspective in mind.

[As you said. That monstrous father of yours and this woman share the same energy. It means that while bearing the Curse of the Forest, her power is similar to the Family Head's.]

That meant.

[You are now trying to solve a problem that even your father would give up on.]

The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.

The Youngest Son’s lips continued to form an arc.

That was my answer.

“Let’s begin.”

[Should I call you childish? Or arrogant?]

“Think whatever you want. I may not know other things, but I know best how I can survive. That’s all.”

[Haa…. Looks like I’m going to die with a madman.]

“We’ll see. In a few years, you’ll find out. Just how tough a guy you’ve latched onto.”

[Please, just let me know. No, just get lost. It would be safest for me to take that body.]

Since that wasn't survival from my point of view.

I brushed it off lightly and gathered my magic once again.

After calling back the departed soul with the Path of the Human, I would use it once more.

This time, I would search not for a soul, but for memories.

「Six Paths, Path of the Human」

Complexion

I placed my palm on her forehead.

I touched her soul and read the unique colors contained within it.

The collection of various colors was as beautiful and dizzying as a rainbow.

From there, I picked out only the color I wanted.

The color I wanted now was the Curse of the Forest.

A search conducted with sorcery and spirit.

I dove into the sea of the Forest Witch's life and did not stop riding the waves.

“Found it.”

The moment I found it.

The moment the Forest Witch first developed the Curse of the Forest.

I scanned everything from then until she completed the curse.

The speed was incredible.

‘It feels like soul and soul are directly connected.’

It wasn't a process of hearing and remembering with words, but a sensation of it being engraved wholesale into my mind.

Since I had background knowledge of the curse, my understanding was also fast.

‘A curse that grants life force close to immortality through the shackle of binding oneself to the forest forever. The curse that made the Forest Witch known as the Forest Witch.’

I delved deep into her memories with the Path of the Human.

I obtained one person’s enlightenment as it was, with nothing hidden.

‘…The side effects are severe.’

A road that offered a quick path was easy to stumble on.

‘I’ve already burst more than half of the delivered hearts.’

It was because of the sheer volume of knowledge contained in the Curse of the Forest.

I was trying to grasp in less than a minute what the great witch had spent years obtaining.

The tremendous stress on my brain was borne by the hearts behind me instead.

It was easy to tell by looking at them, shriveled up like raisins without a drop of moisture.

If I hadn't prepared the sacrifices, my brain would have ended up like that.

Hearts continued to be supplied.

‘The Bloodstone must be charging well, too.’

[Required Blood Absorption: 98.28%]

As soon as I thought it, a system window appeared.

“It’s going smoothly.”

I didn't know how it looked to others.

[Bullshit.]

But so far, it had been.

***

A slight silence flowed in the General Manager of the Treasury’s office, the shack.

The time was short, but it was incredibly heavy.

Even under that pressure, the General Manager continued to speak nonchalantly.

“Did I say something wrong?”

The subject of the loan is the Fifth Son, who could fall at any moment.

It wasn't wrong.

But it was a statement that could be refuted.

“You must have observed the Fifth Son’s potential recently. Seeing as you recognized me and the Gatekeeper at a glance, it seems your ears are not dull.”

You hear everything that goes on in the world, so why pretend you don’t know?

The General Manager nodded.

“I admit it. The Fifth Son’s recent actions have been unbelievably remarkable. I even doubted several times if he was really ‘that’ Fifth Son.”

However.

“Money is a different matter.”

“Do you think the Youngest Son, a direct blood relative of the family and no one else, would waste the family’s funds?”

“With Eclipse as it is now? It seems the possibility isn’t nonexistent.”

Tap, tap.

The General Manager of the Treasury touched his ear.

“To make money, one must have good ears. The same goes for protecting money. Because bugs trying to rip off the family’s precious money fly in from all directions.”

With such ears, news had recently come in.

“Dred and Felson. I heard the Construction General Manager and the Land General Manager went on a business trip to Fantasy Gorge.”

“……”

“Are you telling me to invest a huge sum of money in a city whose leaders have disappeared right from the start of construction? Don’t make me laugh.”

Another silence followed.

This time, it was long.

But just like before.

The silence was broken once again.

The difference was that it wasn't by the Head Maid.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

The door of the shack burst open.

Light flooded into the dark interior from outside.

The uninvited guest stood with his back to it.

A copper coin rolled between his spread fingers.

“…Jubel Maxman.”

The General Manager’s brow furrowed slightly.

Dark clouds gathered once again on his continuously relaxed face.

“Greetings. General Manager. It has been a while.”

“I don’t plan on being fooled this time. What audacity brings you here?”

“Fooled? I came to persuade you. This time.”

His body shifted slightly to the side.

Someone who had been hidden just by him standing in front.

“This is the temporary person in charge appointed by the Land General Manager and the Construction General Manager.”

“Ah, hello…?”

Josephine Blue Wisdom.

The illegitimate daughter of a pure mage had come to the heart of Millesdusk.

Of course, with her entire body wrapped in a thick robe.

And the first words she uttered were.

“Could you perhaps lend me some money…?”

Ngoe.

***

Cailin and Halsin. The two hunters went to procure hearts.

The Youngest Son entered the house to free the Forest Witch from her curse.

The one left alone kicked the grass idly, killing time.

All he could do now was pray.

Just wish for the surgery called curse-breaking to end well.

Was there anything at all he could do to help until then?

He didn't stop thinking.

“It seems a guard was indeed necessary. Young Master.”

He muttered softly.

The magic he had connected to the surrounding trees.

A foreign substance was detected on it.

An uninvited guest.

“You can’t come any further.”

He said to the empty forest.

But it was not empty at all.

The forest was home to many things and was a haven for many.

Among them were those who held a grudge against the Forest Witch.

Long stature. Long ears. Lavender-colored skin. Pure white hair.

Dark Elf warriors revealed themselves from behind the tree trunks.

Their number was in the dozens.

“If you value your life, step aside.”

One warrior warned.

“The Forest Witch stole the life force that the Ancient Tree should have had with her own curse. A being that must be killed.”

“Then you should have killed her sooner.”

They hadn't dared to face her, but upon seeing Hexa’s energy weaken, they had found her hiding place.

That was why they had come this far.

To plunge a blade into the Forest Witch’s heart.

“But you’re too late.”

The son who had left home had now returned.

To take the mother from a house where her son was present. Or to kill her.

“That’s absurd.”

Krrrrrck—

Tree trunks slowly grew from the ground.

They were the roots of the trees he had taken control of just a moment ago.

Those soil-stained things would soon be redecorated with the blood of the Dark Elves.

But their numbers were too great.

Could I win?

No, could I even last long?

His eyes darted back.

‘Young Master. Please finish this quickly if you can.’

With his feet planted on the ground as a starting point.

Shwaaaaaaaaaaaa—

A pure, cyan magic circle bloomed like a summer flower.

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