LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 90
Breathes in and exhales.
The living feel the vibrant sensations simply by being alive.
They fear death and tremble at the thought of losing everything.
The dead are different.
They don’t need to breathe and do not fear death.
Being dead feels no different than being alive.
As an undead, living through eternity makes one yearn for such life.
The cycle of life and death is more eternal than the universe.
Regardless of time, all beings yearn to last forever.
But we are not so. We wished only for life within eternity.
This world is a stage teeming with life.
Things sprout and bloom, are born, grow, and when they die, everything is said to end.
We are paradoxical beings where life and death coexist.
We are living dead, where forgetfulness and awareness coexist.
What, then, are we in this world?
Are we beings isolated from this world?
I have pondered that. I reached a conclusion through centuries of death.
Death is not the end of everything. Although life may cease, the body arises and eternity fades away.
Thus, this world can’t be a stage for the living. It must belong to the dead.
Now, I no longer long for life.
I want the world to understand that death is not the end, but a new beginning.
Yes, I know. It’s a ridiculous assertion.
I admit it. I envy life and desire the death of all things.
Call it a disease. Call it madness.
In eternity, I devised a plan.
To lay the foundation for my wish disguised as the death of humanity.
Starting with humanity, then the otherworldly beasts, and finally bringing death to The Seven Lairs.
Then we will not be alone. There will be no longing or envy for life.
The pain of death is more terrifying than death itself.
Isn’t it worse to die without even recognizing the pain?
For death is inherently lonely.
If everyone dies together, who would feel the solitude?
One day, I will be no different from a savior to those who suffer and die alone.
All people and all beings.
The living and the dead.
I will create a paradise where everyone lives peacefully and equally.
Whether it’s a dream or a nightmare, whether it’s a vision, I have dreamed.
I no longer live in death. I live a dream as the dead.
May all beings receive an equal death so that we are not alone. That is my proof of existence, my belief, and my dream.
***
“How lamentable. The dead must kill the dead.”
A sinister aura radiated from Calandas.
Though deprived of a weapon, he appeared unfazed.
Is this an act? Is it genuine? I couldn’t care less.
The sword of destruction, the Moonlight Sword.
A rush of Luna’s exhilaration spread through my fingertips and coursed through my body.
It was chillingly cold, sharpening my senses.
A subtle glow, as if forged under moonlight, lingered.
“Anti-Magic Dragon Scale. Double.”
Green scales sprouted from the black iron armor.
Bzzz—
Luna resonated from the sword’s blade. A cold and sharp silver current pulsed.
I am no master of swordsmanship. Even with A-rank sword skills, it’s insufficient.
Yet with a mere word, the sword carries weight.
The power contained in a single sentence outweighs the passage of countless years.
That was the Dragon Words of the Eight Horizons.
“Marvel. Essence. Enlightenment.”
The marvel of swordsmanship imprints itself into my senses.
The essence of swordsmanship is inscribed in the depth of my soul.
Though the nerves in both hands are the same, the sensations differ.
I wasn’t holding the sword; it became part of my body like the divine sword merging with its holder.
Truly, a state of enlightenment.
To fully claim this sensation, the nerves too must achieve unity.
“Supersensitivity.”
Thoughts enter the realm of essence. The world surrounding me felt extremely slow.
Simultaneously, the time to perceive phenomena slowed to extremes.
Calandas’s bone joints stretched out slowly. The black glare seemed frozen.
The roughness of the sword’s hilt echoed in both hands. The texture of the firm ground beneath my feet. The exhilarating sensation of Luna heating my body. The fervent flicker of the Holy Sword.
All sensations were vividly felt to the point of goosebumps.
I opened my mouth. Even that brief moment felt endlessly slow.
“Single Thought. Awakening.”
My mind only focused on the fight with Calandas.
Only a single thought drove my body and mind.
I summoned the Holy Sword suspended in the air before me.
Slicing through the air, it suddenly lunged at him. Even that appeared slow to me.
Feeling the ground beneath me, my body elevated. Movements guided by instincts attained from enlightenment.
He seemed close. I reached out my arm. It felt like only my fingertips, not the sword, would touch him.
“Acceleration.”
Swish—
The swift and graceful sword path grazed his side.
No, it was blocked by an intangible barrier. An afterimage lingered, and silver moonlight was drawn along the sword path.
The atmosphere forming a barrier rippled. It felt like the air was sliced.
A magic circle emerged from the void. Chains and unfathomable magical power surged forth.
Before I could register the event, my body drew a semicircle. Soft moonlight traced a semicircle, with brilliant sunlight layering upon it.
Clang—! The Moonlight Sword sliced through magic.
Just when I made my move, a magic spear loomed from the angle, targeting my chest. The trajectory of the Holy Sword bent like a mirage.
The Mana Eater slipped out of my body and surged against the Holy Sword. The parasite sprung from the sword’s tip. Reflecting the Anti-Magic.
Bang!
The magic did not dissipate but rebounded onto him. Reflexively, Calandas spread a barrier.
Boom! Psshhhh…
Smoke billowed from the air. His obsidian glare widened slightly upon seeing me.
“…What is that?”
“Your counterpart.”
The Holy Sword and the Mana Eater.
Since both could reach extreme levels of strength, I was confident in a one-on-one scenario.
“It seems you really intend to kill me. Aren’t you afraid of what comes after? Roxanne won’t just sit back.”
“Killing you is the priority. Don’t think about persuading me.”
I’ve solidified my determination countless times.
Just as Calandas wouldn’t give up, neither would I.
“Barugore. Or is it the hero Lucas?”
Calandas lifted his skinny bone structure.
The name “Lucas,” which I had heard until my ears bled.
“The hero of the past. I understand why you are doing this. You crave acceptance from the world.”
“……”
“Do you wish to become a hero again and return to humanity’s fold? Wake up, Lucas. You are undead now. You’re a Death Knight and a monster of the Seven Lairs. Do you expect humanity to accept you now?”
You’ve misjudged.
I am not Lucas.
I’m neither a hero nor someone longing to be one.
“Abandon the thought of becoming human. You cannot be one. You will not be recognized by humans.”
Humanity. Throughout my life as a Death Knight, I have clung to my humanity.
In the witch’s hut, my heart empathized with the weak, and my actions did not shy from salvation.
Now, I questioned myself again. Was that really humanity? Did I truly want to become human?
Of course, there exists a desire to save humanity.
Perhaps I dressed up my own safety as a way to save humanity.
Was that behavior rooted in my humanity? Even I questioned that.
And now, I’ve come to a certain realization.
“I am different from you, Calandas.”
I do not want to be human. There’s nothing to resign.
My humanity does not define me. Whether human or not, I am wholly myself.
Thus, the principles of my actions and the emotions I’ve felt do not stem from humanity.
Then, it must be based on something arising from the body of the dead? Even more so, that’s incorrect.
I look back on the past.
When Calandas tried to kill Charlotte, I risked my life to stop him because I worried for her and felt compassion.
When Isabella said she would leave the dungeon, I felt the same worry. What if she dies outside?
When Cecilia attempted suicide out of despair, I couldn’t just watch. How could I not feel compassion?
I remember every single word Roseha said to me as she smiled weakly. How could I ever forget that painfully precious memory?
Altruism. Consideration. Sympathy. Pity.
Having a heart allows me to empathize with and understand the hearts of others.
Of course, there exists a desire to save humanity. But it is not because of my humanity.
Because I am alive, I can feel all emotions and devote myself to others.
Being alive allowed me to endure losses in injustice, and because I am alive, I could be entranced by the beauty of the women around me and lament my situation.
“Perhaps you are somewhat right. It wasn’t for my own safety, but rather to save all.”
I don’t want to be human to care for humanity. I don’t want recognition from humans.
When I act for others, it is from there that the pulse of life emanates.
I do not crave humanity. I do not long for life. While I may not be human, I am alive.
I simply wanted to prove the life I possess.
“Thanks to you, I’ve come to understand clearly.”
I savor life in this dead body.
I feel the pulse of life in my heartless chest. Even if it’s a chill and not breath, I’ve exhaled life.
Thud! I slammed the Moonlight Sword into the ground.
I express gratitude to Cecilia, who lent it to me readily. This feeling exists because I am alive.
“Dream. Perpetual Night.”
In an instant, the scenery turned pitch black.
Sounds vanished, and a cold, piercing aura enveloped the location.
A tranquil night. In the darkness of deep night. The realm of the Moonlight Sword.
Before I could grasp it, Luna’s exhilaration flooded me. All sensations beyond mere supersensitivity surged from my body.
In my right hand was a full moon, darker than the night itself. A light that merges with the night instead of dispelling it.
My left hand exuded the golden light of dawn. The Moonlight Sword and the Sunlight Holy Sword. Day and night coexisted within me.
At some point, Calandas widened the gap. He had retreated dozens of steps with a flicker. I took in the scene behind him.
Then I took a single step forward. In an instant, I seized his position.
Calandas turned his head. The floating Holy Sword aimed at his torso, whilst the Moonlight Sword targeted his neck.
Black magic power concentrated above Calandas’s throat. Clang! The Moonlight Sword was blocked.
Swish! The trajectory of the Holy Sword surged. Starting from his right collarbone and concluding at his left side.
Boom!
Calandas stomped the ground. The earth trembled as the walls rose.
Calandas’s shadow rapidly expanded. From the ground, blackened hands and white bones erupted.
In an instant, hundreds of undead swarmed the area.
─!
Countless magic circles appeared from the sky. Just as I reacted, magic spears shot through the walls.
Furggh! The Mana Eater, transformed into a barrier, blocked the attack.
The undead army surrounded me.
The atmosphere of the dead rising in the thick darkness felt foreboding.
Luna resonated throughout my body. The left hand erupted with a radiant light beyond the sun.
The sword strike traced a crescent arc. The sound of waves echoed as the rain of moonlight started falling sharply based on the silver melody.
It only took one strike to fell hundreds of undead.
“Barugore. You’re weaker than I expected.”
Calandas laughed from within the breached wall.
Sure. In his mind, I must still be considered a lord who even Roxanne fears.
But I am far from that now.
I’ve relied on bluster to confuse the perception of those around me. It was impossible against him. It wasn’t even necessary.
Calandas raised both his hands above his head.
Zzzzzing—! A massive magic circle filled the ceiling.
The black glare pulsed ominously, staring straight at me.
“Hero Lucas. I am not afraid. I feel I can defeat you.”
As I looked at Calandas, I felt fear seep into my bones.
The lord of the Seven Lairs bore intense murderous intent towards me. How could I not feel afraid?
This wasn’t just now.
Balmunk, Wilhelm, and the Great Sage. Every encounter with Calandas and the 72nd Assembly, even just peering into Roxanne’s eyes made it feel as if I would drop dead from fear.
The fear of defeat muddles thoughts. The fear of death envelops my mind with vague dread.
Facing the crisis rendered everything black.
Yet that was only because I was alive. Because I am alive, I feel the fear of death.
“Calandas. I fear you, but I do not think I will lose.”
I aimed the Holy Sword at him. To prove my existence alive, I would not die.
“Indomitable.”
Among the Dragon Words of the Eight Horizons, the buff word governs the spirit of ‘not yielding.’
From this moment on, my mind is resolute in any situation. I will never bend to any pain. I will not yield, even if withering under adversity.
As long as the will to be unyielding remains, the only one who could break me is myself.
“Unyielding.”
I not only deny fleeing but also erased it from my mind. The will to be unyielding deeply engraved itself in me.
My eyes, my fists, my legs, my body, and my mind all face forward. Only aiming at him.
The final Dragon Word results in a significant increase in all stats. It creates possibilities close to guaranteed victory.
“Invincible.”
I erased the two characters representing defeat from my mind.
I will not lose.
───!!
From the magic circle on the ceiling, a dark explosion rained down. In a breath, a gust charged in like a storm.
I cloaked myself in the Mana Eater’s full-body armor. My body had already turned towards him. The falling magic tried to impede my rush.
Indomitable, unyielding. Pain couldn’t even slightly hold me back.
‘I am alive.’
The Mana Eater, unable to withstand the shock, took refuge within my body. I pulled my back leg and swiftly thrust my front leg forward.
In tandem, I struck with the Moonlight Sword, and a series of movements flowed smoothly.
Thoughts accelerated. My body sped accordingly.
I didn’t even need to solidify any images in my mind. My movements instinctively relied on the marvel and essence.
I grasped sensations and reflected upon them, repeating.
A wall rose between us. I shot the Holy Sword before the Moonlight Sword, which then flew past and rebounded off the barrier.
In that moment, I saw an opening in him. The Moonlight Sword was tightly gripped in my hand.
He didn’t have a moment to respond. Swoosh! His right arm was severed by the Moonlight Sword.
Seizing this chance, I thrust the Holy Sword into his side.
Thud!
At the moment the Holy Sword pierced, sunlight erupted, enveloping Calandas.
The moonlight from the severed arm spiraled up his shoulder. The sunlight from the Solar Sword intertwined with the moonlight of Luna, consuming Calandas in flames.
The sacred light from day and night invaded him’s body, driving out the malevolent soul.
“──!!”
His scream echoed through the heavens, sharp enough to tear through the ears.
At this moment, his gaze remained fixed on me, filled with an intense thirst to kill.
His scream did not arise from pain. It was solely a sinister desire for destruction.
Swish!
A tingling sensation surged from my fingertips. It set my heart ablaze.
Within my body, life stirred. I felt a tremor from within my chest.
My heart is beating. I’ve never felt more alive.
Calandas drawing with his remaining left hand in the air caused me to quickly step back.
The Holy Sword was still lodged in his body. The sunlight was dissipating his soul gradually.
Without showing signs of fatigue, Calandas stomped the ground. A magic circle unfurled across the ground, targeting me.
Fwoosh!
Hellfire erupted, engulfing me. The Anti-Magic Dragon Scale guarded my body, minimizing damage.
Moreover, there was no follow-up. Calandas collapsed, unable to endure the sacred force.
No. Even now, he had some fighting spirit left.
Zzzing—!
From the magic circles appearing from the earth, flames shot up and rained down.
With the double Anti-Magic Dragon Scale, the Mana Eater pressed the limits, enveloping his entire body.
BOOM───!
A deafening explosion erupted, turning the venue into a hell of chaos. The black flames roared furiously all around.
In that glaring center, I stood firm. The Dragon Scale eroded away, and the Mana Eater crawled into my body.
I beheld the defeated Calandas, engulfed in radiant flames.
His essence faded to such an extent that I could see through him.
I approached him slowly. Stopping before him, I drew the Holy Sword.
“─You!”
Calandas sprang up. He reached out with his fiery hand, touching my chest. A magic circle materialized momentarily within his grasp.
The magic circle vanished, and his gaze grew larger than ever.
“……How can a dead man…?”
The heartbeat reverberated through Calandas’s bones.
“I am different from you, Calandas.”
I felt the reality deeply once more.
I am alive.