I Became a Hero in a Game World – Chapter 156

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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I was a little late. I had hesitated about taking the awakening pill. And because of that, Elsie had already surpassed her limits.

‘Elsie, you did well.’

As I took the sword that had been supporting her, she collapsed. She had been holding on with sheer willpower, on the verge of death. Right, if she wasn’t going to fight, it was better for her to rest like that.

‘I’ll handle it from here.’

I gripped the Royal Sword with both hands and glared at the 72nd Demon Lord before me. A massive body, wings befitting its size, and thick black scales.

It was a form that perfectly matched the description of a dragon. And I had seen it before. It had appeared at the end of the third trial and devoured the holy relics stored in the Order’s headquarters before awakening.

But thinking about it, that was also one of the devices that signified that the place was a trial.

‘Of course, absorbing a large number of weaker holy relics would be faster for its awakening than absorbing a single Royal Sword…’

But it was unlikely that this creature would give up the Royal Sword. It was obsessed with becoming the ‘true princess.’

That’s why I was able to use its obsession as a part of my plan, knowing it would keep Elsie alive to show her that it had become the ‘true princess.’

‘And Elsie executed that plan perfectly.’

The situation had worsened slightly when it awakened at the same time she seized the Royal Sword. But it seemed the damage from losing the sword still lingered. Then, it was worth a try.

‘I have a plan.’

The creature said to me,

-Chattering away in front of an enemy.

As if it had shown mercy. But I knew.

“Well, you must have recovered a lot in the meantime.”

Its body trembled. I had provoked it.

-But what can you do with that sword?

It was pointing at the Royal Sword in my hand. I answered calmly, “I can use it.”

-Use it? Do you mean simply swinging it?

“I must have been vague.”

I corrected myself.

“Activate.”

A faint light began to emanate from the Royal Sword.

It was thanks to the [Royal Authority (Small)] I had inherited.

And not only that, but [Succession Suitability], the trait of the [Mark of Succession], was assisting and supporting the [Royal Authority (Small)], which normally wouldn’t be able to activate the Royal Sword at all.

-You…

The 72nd Demon Lord, momentarily flustered, soon realized. That this was my limit.

-What, you can’t activate it properly?

“Not yet.”

But I still had one more card to play. The skill I had received as a reward for the trial from the God of Bonds. I hadn’t tried it on a 5-star holy relic yet, so I wasn’t sure.

Perhaps the most useful skill for me, who relied heavily on inherited skills, was Sublimation. Of course, the penalty was quite severe.

Losing lifespan. I still couldn’t feel how much lifespan I was losing each time I used it.

But I was certain that it didn’t hinder my immediate combat ability, other than a taste of blood in my mouth and a slight feeling of fatigue. So I had resolved to use it actively when needed.

‘Sublimation’

The taste of blood filled my mouth. At the same time, I felt the Royal Authority within me intensify. The 72nd Demon Lord seemed to have noticed it as well.

-What was that just now…!

“Activate!”

In that instant, light erupted from the Royal Sword. It was definitely responding. In contrast, my consciousness began to twist.

“Ugh!”

Light filled my mind. My head felt like it would shatter from the piercing, painful light. And the light that had filled my mind receded with a flicker of the sword’s light. A throbbing pain and a sense of emptiness blurred my consciousness.

‘This is…’

It was difficult. Even though I had raised the rank of the [Royal Mark (Small)] by one level with Sublimation, it wasn’t enough to fully handle the 5-star holy relic, the Royal Sword. And so, an unimaginable pain began to sweep through my mind.

(What is a king?)

A hallucination that began with the light. Every time the light receded and then surged back, I heard that hallucination. The voice was different each time. It was as if the thoughts contained within the sword were speaking to me.

(I didn’t want to be a king.)

No, perhaps this was just someone’s lament.

(Why did the God of Light choose us?)

My head felt like it was going to split. It was a violent rejection, as if it would kill me if I didn’t let go.

(Why must only the legitimate Lodreim royal family be kings?)

A wave of nausea washed over me, but since my stomach was empty, only a watery liquid came up.

(Because their hair was as golden as the sun.)

(For such a reason?)

(Someone was needed to represent and lead all people, whoever it may be.)

In an instant, several voices intertwined in my mind, creating a mess. The flickering of the sword also continued to be unstable.

At the sight of me, the 72nd Demon Lord said mockingly,

-You can’t use that sword without the Royal Mark! You’re no different from me!

Not yet. It was still worth a try. Compared to the pain Elsie must have endured, this was nothing.

‘Shut up, all of you.’

I said to the hallucinations echoing in my mind.

‘Yes, I don’t have the qualities of a king.’

Elsie will be the queen. But…

‘Libero said…’

…the end of swordsmanship is in one’s will.

‘And this strike I’m about to unleash also contains Elsie’s will.’

Her will as a queen to protect her kingdom. That was contained in this sword.

‘So please, just help me once.’

Then, all the voices I had been hearing quieted down. At the same time, the sword lost its light. But soon, one voice was heard.

(Can you really handle her will?)

It was a woman’s voice, similar to Elsie’s. I answered, ‘Of course.’ Then, other voices followed.

(You’d better not take it lightly.)

(Your body might not be able to handle it.)

I would decide whether I could handle it or not. And in this situation, with Elsie dying, there was only one standard. As long as I didn’t die.

(If you really think so.)

(And for the sake of the kingdom.)

(I permit it.)

At the same time, an immense light began to pour out from the sword. It was a different light from the light of succession. But the overflowing golden light definitely contained the will to protect the kingdom.

“See, it works.”

The 72nd Demon Lord shouted in astonishment,

-How did you…!

Sensing that the situation was not good, the 72nd Demon Lord began to gather a breath attack in its mouth again. I took a stance to cut it down. It was likely that it would be able to unleash its breath attack before I could reach it.

Then, I had to use Libero’s swordsmanship to cut it down instantly, right here and now. But…

‘The Power of the Wind won’t work.’

The sword was too heavy, perhaps because it was a greatsword. So, the Power of the Wind wouldn’t be able to provide enough acceleration. And I had never tried to manifest Libero’s swordsmanship without the Power of the Wind.

In truth, unlike Libero, I didn’t believe in things like karma. In the end, there was a limit to how much you could achieve, no matter how hard you tried. So I had thought that just as I used the Power of the Wind to imitate him, Libero must also have had some other method.

But…

‘There wasn’t.’

He had tried to cut the uncuttable. To do that, he had surpassed space and time. Libero had surpassed time and space with just his sword. But the legend said this about his sword:

‘In the end, he couldn’t cut Chaos.’

But there was one fact that wasn’t in the legend. His sword hadn’t ended yet.

‘The end of swordsmanship is in its will.’

I had inherited his will. At the end of the sword I was wielding, there was the end of his swordsmanship. If his will had truly been passed down to me, then the strike I was about to unleash was the same as his.

‘So… I’ll borrow your power.’

I took a stance.

‘To protect the kingdom.’

With that single thought, I swung the Royal Sword with all my might. I didn’t know the trick, but as similar as possible to his strike. With the will to cut Chaos and protect the kingdom. And at that moment, for some reason, I saw Libero.

He was shimmering like a phantom in front of me, swinging a jet-black sword. No, perhaps it was really just a phantom. But what was certain was that the breath attack that had been coming towards me had stopped.

The breath attack had stopped, but the Royal Sword continued to move. And so, Libero’s swordsmanship, which had tried to cut the impossible, surpassed time and space at that moment… and unfolded here, in the Lodreim Kingdom, 500 years later.

(This swordsmanship is…)

A voice came from the brightly shining Royal Sword. This must be the voice of the Nameless King. As if in answer, Libero’s phantom also spoke.

(I’m late, having come from cutting Chaos.)

The sword strike cleaved the 72nd Demon Lord in two.

-KRAAAAAAAH!

The 72nd Demon Lord, disintegrating into pieces in the sun-like light. But my gaze wasn’t on it.

‘Libero?’

The particles of light scattering brilliantly. The form was definitely Libero. And a woman was standing beside him.

‘The Nameless King?’

The particles of light gradually lost their form and scattered, then swept over me. It was a warm light, like the path of light Elsie had created in the third trial.

The lights passed through me and flowed into the Reim Kingdom’s keystone, which was inside the magic barrier. The keystone seemed to be shining even more brightly.

‘That just now…’

It was too vivid to be a hallucination or an auditory hallucination. But the White Tower, where everything had ended, was already shrouded in silence. There was no trace of the hallucination or auditory hallucination.

‘Now’s not the time to be thinking about this.’

There was no time to be sentimental. Elsie’s condition was critical.

“Elsie, are you okay?”

Elsie had lost consciousness, but fortunately, she was still breathing. I carried her on my back. And I started to hurry out of the White Tower.

“Just hold on a little longer.”

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