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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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When Limon unexpectedly picked up the violin, the Silent Dragon Unit, though puzzled, didn’t question him.
They subconsciously believed that the Sword Saint, who had slain even gods, had a reason for his actions.
Huuuuuum.
“…!”
But as the music began, their awe turned to something else entirely. It wasn’t the beauty of the melody that shocked them. They were the elite warriors of the Black Dragon Clan, trained to control their emotions.
Beauty, pleasure, wealth… none of it could sway them.
Even the music Limon had created earlier, weaving together the violin, their own makeshift instruments, and the clash of steel against a divine being, hadn’t evoked any emotional response.
Yet, now, they were stunned, their minds blank.
The sheer weight of the music, the oppressive gravity of its presence, was overwhelming.
‘What… is this?’
Beautiful melody? Unparalleled skill? Those were insignificant compared to the history embedded within the music.
If sound had color, this was a museum of every hue imaginable, a flood of memories, emotions, and experiences, painted in a thousand shades.
Huuuuuum.
The regret of what could not be saved. The longing for what could not be met. The bitterness of betrayal. The remorse of loss. The lament of what had passed.
Emotions so deep and heavy, a lifetime’s worth, washed over them, wave after wave.
And above all, loneliness.
The profound emptiness of an immortal being, alone for eternity, forced open the floodgates of their emotions.
Tears streamed down their faces. They tried to deny it, to convince themselves it wasn’t real, that their emotions were merely a reflection of the music’s profound sadness. But it was futile.
It wasn’t just the Silent Dragon Unit.
Na-kyung, accustomed to Limon’s music, Yo Ouin, the seasoned veteran, and even Lee Cheon-gi were affected.
A heart-wrenching ache, a suffocating pressure, a wellspring of emotions threatening to burst forth, a sense of overwhelming emptiness… it was a deluge of memories.
The ageless Sword Master, Limon Asphelder, who had lived a life more tumultuous than any other, was pouring nearly a thousand years of memories into his music, consuming them all.
Only two remained unaffected.
‘This is… too much.’
Li Chingwei clutched her chest, her face pale, her expression pained, as if she wanted to tear out her own heart. Yet, she didn’t cry.
And Eugene, her gaze fixed on Limon, a bittersweet smile on her face.
‘…Partner, you liar.’
Unlike the others, lost in the music’s emotional depths, she focused on the melody itself. And she realized that Limon’s playing, which she had believed to be the pinnacle of skill, was a mere facade.
This music, infused with the raw, unfiltered emotions of his centuries-long life, dwarfed everything he had played before.
‘You said you didn’t know soul, but it’s overflowing.’
The ethereal melody ignited her emotions, the rich timbre seeping into her mind like a potent drug.
It was a performance only Limon, a Sword Master with superhuman abilities and an impossibly long life, could achieve.
So beautiful, so enchanting, so far beyond anything she had ever imagined, it made her feel like she could die happy.
‘So cruel.’
But that only amplified her despair. She longed to sing, just once, to this music. She would have given her soul for the chance. She knew she would never have another opportunity to sing alongside such a performance, not in this lifetime, nor in any other.
But she couldn’t.
She had already sold her soul.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
She would have laughed, even if she were being tortured to death. But Limon’s music, for the first time, filled her with regret. She shouldn’t have made that deal.
She should have been more careful, chosen a different Constellation, found another way to regain her voice.
But it was impossible. Players were chosen, not the other way around. They were merely actors on a stage set by the stars.
She knew this, yet her despair was so profound it defied reason.
‘I didn’t want to learn that my life was a mistake like this.’
She had lived for music, yet now, when she needed it most, she couldn’t sing. Her life, her purpose, felt negated.
As another tear fell, drawn by the irresistible melody, a change began.
Huuuuuum.
Limon’s body glowed faintly, and a stream of light flowed from him, like a river of starlight, swirling around him, through the violin, and back into his body, growing brighter with each cycle.
Eugene realized her time was near.
The faint remnants of her immortality, the power that had sustained her without a heart, flowed out, drawn into the current, dissolving into motes of light.
‘Ah…’
Was it regret? Or longing? She had anticipated this, yet a sigh escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, savoring the last moments of the music.
How much time passed?
The music ended. The cycle of starlight completed, leaving only a tiny fragment within her.
A soft voice echoed.
“Is that enough? Have I fulfilled your request?”
It was more than enough. Enough to make her resent him. But she wasn’t that cruel. And she knew her time was short.
[Partner, do you have something precious?]
“What nonsense is this?”
[Something important, something you want to protect, even just one thing?]
“…I do.”
Limon, perhaps sensing her fading consciousness, answered her unexpected question. She sent him a faint telepathic message.
[Then find them.]
“Find what?”
[The Seven Arks.]
“Arks? Like Noah’s Ark?”
[Yes, seven arks, containing the secrets of the stars.]
The Liberation Brigade’s greatest secret, a topic forbidden even to mention. Now, with her power fading, the restriction lifted, and she revealed it.
[Don’t let us have them. Gather them, protect them, awaken them.]
Her consciousness fading, her vision blurring, she shifted her gaze towards the Black Abyssal Violin in Limon’s hands, the instrument that had allowed Vellus to wield a Constellation’s power, the instrument that had helped Limon assimilate the starlight, an object connected to the very source of the Constellations’ power, the Liberation Brigade’s ultimate goal, one of the seven hidden arks.
[It will be a difficult task… ]
She whispered, her voice filled with hope and encouragement, mustering her last strength.
[But I know you can do it, Partner.]
She smiled, her head falling forward. The last fragment of starlight within her flowed out, merging with the violin and Limon.
The mad berserker, the Specter of the Liberation Brigade, the criminal who had committed countless atrocities… yet, in her final moments, she remained a friend, a foolish sinner who couldn’t abandon her partner.
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This was troublesome.
He thought so, sincerely. What was the problem? Frankly, it was easier to list what wasn’t a problem.
The ‘Giant,’ whose temporary divinity and unparalleled combat prowess had made him a formidable foe, was gone.
The ‘Great Tree,’ whose countless roots granted it unmatched vitality, had vanished without a trace.
They hadn’t secured the target ‘Ark,’ and they had lost three vessels, a significant loss considering their rarity.
And the cause of this disaster was clear.
Limon Asphelder. The last Sword Master.
The only human capable of slaying immortal Constellations. If he hadn’t interfered, things wouldn’t have gone so wrong. He was a problem that needed to be eliminated.
But his immediate concern was something else entirely.
Where was he? What was this suffocating darkness? How could he escape? These were his most pressing questions.
It shouldn’t have been a problem. But weakened by the battle, his reckless actions having taken their toll, he couldn’t even find his way in the darkness.
He was suppressing his power to avoid detection, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. He had lost his vessel and wasted too much time. His existence was starting to unravel, the Astral Engine reaching its limit.
He was growing desperate.
He decided to force his way out, even if it meant revealing himself…
“Running away with your tail between your legs after using your Contractor and comrade as bait? How pathetic.”
He froze.
A voice, sudden and unexpected. A white-haired man emerged from the darkness.
“Those who boast about upholding the law are usually the dirtiest behind the scenes… but you chose the wrong opponent.”
Limon raised his sword, a cold smile playing on his lips as he looked at the law book floating in mid-air, recognizing the one who had stolen another Constellation’s power using ‘Sacrificial Rite’ and ‘Avatar of Wrath,’ escaping while leaving his comrades behind.
“The impartial arbiter of law.”
The law book, seemingly startled, frantically launched its pages at Limon, attempting to escape.
It was a futile gesture.
Before it could even move the Astral Engine it inhabited, Limon took a step.
“Remember this as a parting gift.”
One step through the darkness. One step past the pages. One step towards the law book, his sword flashing.
He severed the law book in three strides.
As the shattered fragments of starlight rained down, Limon sheathed his sword, finishing softly,
“Anyone can break the law. But no one escapes a Sword Master.”
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