Episode 240

It’s clear from the murderous intent radiating from his eyes that his intentions aren’t friendly; the intensity is almost too much.

Mana swirls around the hand holding the sword.

Feeling an ominous premonition, Iriel asks,

“…You seem surprisingly well. Did someone heal you? Though, I can’t detect any gratitude in your eyes?”

“Healing? I have no recollection of being healed, though I might have left you half-dead.”

“What is that then!”

He exclaims, as if witnessing a dying person miraculously turn into a zombie and start moving.

From a distance, laughter is heard.

“Hahahaha! Isn’t it astonishing? That I, once a cripple, am moving like this again!”

Elder Meade, who was laughing madly, suddenly stops his laughter and sends a sword energy slicing through the air.

Ray, with a flick of his palm, deflects the incoming sword energy, causing the mana to dissipate and stir up dust as it hits the ground.

Boom—!

From the dust, impossible to see through, a sharp sword suddenly protrudes.

Swoosh!

Iriel and Ray quickly dodge the sword, thrust at them with incredible speed, as if it were an arrow.

As he dodges the sword, he counterattacks.

Holding a mana-formed sword, he slashes horizontally, cutting off the front of the elder’s robe.

Yet, the elder’s expression remains relaxed.

Clashing swords with destructive mana, the aftermath causes the sand at the coastline to be pushed away like a wave.

Clang!

The sound of metal friction echoes, making their handiwork even more fierce.

She then yells at Ray and Elder Meade in turn.

“Kyaaak! You’re both madmen!”

The wild voice makes him hesitate momentarily, wondering if he should attack Iriel first.

After exchanging blows for a while, a gap finally appears.

Ray tilts his head and asks,

“The mana’s quite dense, isn’t it? Does this have anything to do with your recovery?”

“Kukuk. It’s the mana I received from you. How does it feel to be overpowered by your own strength?”

Elder’s words slightly furrow his brow.

‘My mana… could it be that time…?’

Though he is alive now, he definitely died back then, a sword piercing through his chest.

It seems that during those few minutes, the ‘Blessing of the Goddess’ must have seeped into Elder Meade.

If so, it’s quite dangerous.

He is unsure how much power he has obtained, but he worries if modern knowledge has also been transferred.

These are memories of a past life he doesn’t want anyone to discover or know.

Unlike before, his grip on the sword tightens a bit.

Then, Elder Meade’s sword starts to be pushed back.

Boom—! Boom—!

As the surging sword strikes continue, the elder, who once boasted of his immense mana, wipes blood from his mouth.

But he had no time to feel the pain of his internal injuries.

His eyes drop as if looking at a monster.

‘I, I surely absorbed this kid’s power… But what is this…!’

The gap in power is too vast.

Both wield mana swords, yet why does one break while the other remains intact?

For the elder, unaware of the truth, it was a frustrating and anxious situation, but it was inevitable.

Even if the quality of mana becomes the same, the mana lord handling it is different.

Moreover, as the free-natured mana was absorbed into Elder Meade’s body, it lost its properties and became stagnant.

Thus, while the quantity of mana has increased, over time his mana is gradually weakening.

“Still, it’s worth a try for now.”

For some reason, a foreign swordsmanship technique naturally unfolds in his body, as if it has melted into his being.

Unknown to him, but Ray is quite surprised to see this.

“Duke Jahad’s swordsmanship!”

Indeed, it’s the blessing of the goddess.

Elder Meade is displaying a sword technique he has never encountered before as if it were his own.

Does the blessing transfer not only the memories of the mind but also what the body remembers?

“…This cannot be allowed to live.”

It’s uncertain how much of his memories have been absorbed.

Putting his thoughts aside, he gathers mana from the atmosphere.

The mana, converging into a vortex, eventually rushes towards the elder.

Considering it a challenge, Elder Meade likewise pushes his body’s mana to its limits.

“Grrrrr!”

With veins nearly bursting, he counters with a sword path.

However, as soon as the two swords clash, the outcome is decided.

Clang—!

A breeze passing through the forest sweeps over everything.

It caresses rocks and brushes against bushes.

The free wind’s final destination is Elder Meade’s abdomen.

Drip—

As hot blood flows out, the elder kneels and spits out blood.

“Cough!”

Silently looking down at him, Elder Meade suddenly bursts into laughter.

It seems like he’s lost his mind from the intense pain.

“Hehehe… leaving the island?”

“……”

“Surely there’s also a Spirit Tribe leader inside… You… still don’t know the Spirit Tribe leader… The day you learn of him will be the day you experience despair. Hehehehe…”

Although his words are cryptic, they carry a strangely ominous atmosphere.

“What does that mean?”

“I can’t just tell you… Don’t rush the future’s enjoyment. I was anyway destined to die here. Waiting for the day you detestable thing would come… I’ll be waiting in my homeland.”

Spitting out blood, he stabs himself in the abdomen with a sword, and his body begins to disintegrate into dust.

Like entering into rest, he leaves no corpse behind and floats into the air.

Ray and Iriel quietly let it be.

Until the dust completely vanished without a trace.

On the beach, where only the sound of the waves can be fiercely heard, they stand motionless, looking down at the elder’s sword left behind.

How long had it been?

In the silence, Iriel was the first to speak.

“…What was that all about?”

“I don’t know. But it won’t hurt to be cautious.”

“Are you thinking of putting surveillance on the Spirit Tribe leader?”

“That would be difficult.”

The Spirit Tribe leader, whose martial prowess has reached the pinnacle, is a figure of intrigue.

Even if a guardian were assigned, he would likely notice immediately.

“Then……”

“We must always be on guard. We don’t know what he’s plotting.”

Indeed, as Elder Meade mentioned, there seems to be something enigmatic about the Spirit Tribe leader.

He’s the leader of a clan that has remained secluded, and despite providing reasons, he was the first in his clan to insist on venturing outside.

Moreover, despite the situation having escalated to this point, not only has he failed to pacify the elders, but their current whereabouts are also unknown, adding to the mystery.

He gazes at the nearly completed ship, lost in thought.

Somehow, the idea of sending everyone out doesn’t seem as appealing as he initially thought.

Work resumed the next day.

As flesh is added to the skeleton and frame of the ship, it gradually takes on a more complete form, igniting a fire in everyone’s hearts.

Now, without being told, everyone naturally proceeds with their tasks.

“We’re short on iron plates here! Who will bring some?”

“Here it is.”

“Thank you.”

They warmly help each other with their tasks, slowly completing the ship.

Hael, who came out to watch with nothing else to do, marvels at the elegant dark-hued large ship.

“My goodness… it’s actually being completed.”

“We have to break through the sea, so of course, it had to be made.”

“Hmm… With this, shouldn’t we be able to get out without any major issues?”

Overwhelmed by the sheer size of the ship, Ray shakes his head as if that’s not even a possibility.

“The sea is raging like it’s gone mad, so that’s a bit difficult. But still, with the iron plates being thick, it should hold up for a few hours at least.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

It’s a welcome thought.

If it can hold out even for a few hours, there’s a chance to escape at maximum speed.

Leaving the land aside, if they can reach the calm sea, there would be nothing more to wish for.

Ray quietly sits on a rock, unfolding a map from his bosom.

“We should depart in two days to avoid being late. We are about here…”

His finger moves from the coastline, tracing a straight line across.

“We need to make as straight a path as possible.”

Hael nods in agreement.

“So, you’re thinking of a forced breakthrough since we’re short on time.”

“Exactly. If the ship were sturdier and we had more time, we would’ve gone around the coast.”

That would be safer.

But it would take much longer.

Understanding, Hael nods, and Ray carefully folds the map before putting it back into his bosom.

The paper is creased from being unfolded so many times.

His gaze then shifts to the horizon.

As the sun sets and twilight begins, the construction of the large ship, which started early in the morning, enters its final stage.

The last remaining mast is erected, and the rudder is installed.

Then, after a week’s work, the large ship is finally completed.

Ray, who had been sitting on a log, stands up.

“Wow, quite solid.”

It looks sturdier than expected.

Iron plates meticulously cover the joints of the wood, and these plates are layered two or three times to protect both the outer and inner hull.

With reinforcement magic to be added, it should withstand quite the waves.

Ray, who had been lying down, leisurely kicking his legs while the ship was being built, praised the slaves for their hard work.

“You all did a lot of hard work. Finally, we have a ship we can sail on. It was made this quickly because of your sweat and effort.”

Cheers burst out immediately as he finishes speaking.

“Woahhhhh!”

“Finally…!”

“Good job, everyone!”

The atmosphere turns festive in an instant.

How hard it had been until now!

They endured all sorts of humiliations and worked even harder than slaves under the scorching sun, cursing him as he lay comfortably in the shade!

But now, that’s all behind them.

What awaits them is alcohol to soothe their bundled fatigue and delicious food.

Rubbing their hands together and salivating at the thought of a pleasant feast, the saint in front of them smirks.

“From now on, the men will make small boats and oars for rowing. The women should smoke the food to prevent it from spoiling, and gather wearable clothes and clean cloth. We’ll be very hungry on the sea.”