SWNOVELXO Chapter 358
Chapter 359. What You See Is All There Is (2)
Endymion couldn’t block Keter’s attack. It wasn’t a matter of speed. Keter had attacked none other than himself.
Keter, who had taken the Ain Soph arrow from Endymion, plunged it into his own heart.
“Wow…”
Drip, drip.
Keter’s body is abnormally tough. Tougher than Orichalcon, said to be the hardest in this world.
But the Ain Soph arrow pierced through even Keter’s flesh, smoothly exiting through his back.
“Damn, that hurts.”
Staggering, Keter leaned on Endymion’s body.
“…Why did you do that?”
At Endymion’s question, Keter muttered with his head bowed.
“Discipline.”
“Who?”
“Myself.”
Disciplining himself.
Though elves are a race known for extreme emotional restraint, Endymion immediately made a face of disbelief at Keter’s words.
Endymion thought Keter didn’t have much life left. After all, his heart had been pierced by the Ain Soph arrow.
Ain Soph can even kill gods. No matter how strong Keter was, he couldn’t survive. Since there was no way to save him now, Endymion decided to at least let Keter know why he was dying.
“Keter. You carry the essence of all living beings in this world within you. From elves and dwarves to monsters like goblins and trolls, even the transcendent races like dragons.”
“…So I have the best bloodline in this world. Then why didn’t I feel it?”
“Because it’s like a grain of sand scattered in the ocean. You have it, but it makes little difference. But it seems some event awakened those essences.”
“Some event.”
Keter had many things in mind, but the decisive one was likely the battle for the body with the dragon Paratool.
Originally, Keter’s body was prepared by Akra for Paratool. But the future went awry. Keter took the body meant for Paratool.
The essence of all living beings, which a dragon could have controlled, was too much for Keter, a human. These signs had been steadily appearing to Keter.
Desires different from usual tickled Keter’s mind, but he dismissed them as side effects of becoming a transcendent being.
To be precise, he planned to deal with it ‘later,’ but it exploded when he met the dwarf.
‘Damn, who do I take after? I have no patience.’
There’s no free lunch in this world. Keter knew that best.
Absorbing a dragon’s heart. Coexisting with Eslow. He knew these were dangerous from the start and was prepared. If he didn’t become stronger, he couldn’t handle the current situation.
Though he was flustered at first, Keter now accepted everything and took a deep breath. It felt like his lungs would tear with each breath.
No, they actually tore. Thick blood rose through his stomach and flowed from his mouth. But Keter endured.
‘If I lose consciousness like this, I’ll become a monster.’
A terrible monster mixed with the desires of all races.
Did Akra want that?
‘Damn, what a mother.’
He should ask her. He was sure it wasn’t out of love that she gave birth to him.
‘What’s in my head isn’t reality. What’s happening before my eyes is.’
That’s why he must push himself to death. What torments him is instinct. The instincts of countless lives.
‘Every living being has different instincts. It’s impossible to cater to each one. But there’s a way to unify them.’
Instinct is ultimately about expressing ‘individuality’ from a ‘peaceful state.’
Before death, everyone thinks the same. The instinct to survive, to live.
Gurgle.
Keter’s body shook. His body tried to heal the wound in his heart.
But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t just because of Ain Soph’s attack; Keter’s will was interfering.
‘Trying to talk to beasts that don’t understand is foolish. I’ll show you. If you torment me, all that’s left for you is death.’
The instinct to survive and Keter’s will to die intertwined. Right in the middle of House Sephira.
Keter, leaning on Endymion and bleeding profusely, looked abnormal to anyone.
But the Servants of Sephira only glanced briefly, not deeply concerned.
‘What mischief is he up to now?’
‘I’m not falling for it.’
Thanks to that, Keter could leisurely continue his battle with himself—and Endymion, unintentionally becoming a support, noticed Keter’s condition and asked.
“Do you need anything?”
Keter, who had been bowing his head, slowly looked up. His face was covered in blood. Blood flowed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Yet, Keter smiled and said.
“I already have everything.”
*
Shortly after Keter left the underground tunnel.
The dwarf gestured to Daat as if doing him a favor.
“Kid. If you don’t want to get hurt, leave now.”
“Kid?”
Snap.
With a flick of Daat’s finger, the dwarf’s body floated into the air.
“Who gave you permission to live here? Huh? Do you think I can’t destroy this tunnel?”
“Y-you! Do you know who I am? I’m ‘Yun of Black Iron from the Dragonhead Gorge!'”
“Are you the person in charge here? No, you’re not. Where’s the person in charge?”
The answer came from behind Yun, in the darkness.
“There is no person in charge here.”
Though Daat was used to darkness, he couldn’t see who it was. The voice was clear, though.
‘And I didn’t sense any presence until he spoke. Gives me chills.’
Daat, who had learned Space-Time Magic from the unofficial time mage Krona.
Moreover, spatial mages are especially skilled at sensing presence, yet Daat didn’t notice.
This meant the opponent either had a highly specialized technique to erase presence or was of such a race.
‘There are really many monsters in this world.’
Daat was inwardly tense but spoke to the darkness without showing it.
“Show your face. I’m here as a representative of Sephira.”
“We’ve been waiting for you, Lord Daat.”
Swoosh.
A figure emerged from the darkness. Daat’s head lowered for a moment.
Daat is small, but larger than a dwarf. Yet, the figure emerging from the darkness was smaller than a dwarf. No, ‘cute’ would be a better description.
“I am Yoka of the Smallfolk.”
“Smallfolk… They really exist?”
“It’s a long story, but we’ve barely kept our lineage alive.”
“You said there’s no person in charge, so let me change the question. Who persuaded you to come to Sephira? And why live in tunnels?”
“Sigh… We were going to explain to Lord Keter. But…”
Yoka pointed to the hole Keter had made.
“He suddenly changed the atmosphere. I was so scared I froze.”
The genuinely scared expression was quite cute, but it didn’t work on Daat. However, Daat could empathize, so he let Yun down.
“Nothing’s as awkward in life as sudden events. From Sephira’s perspective, you suddenly appeared.”
“There’s no excuse. But we thought Lord Keter would understand.”
“That sounds like you came to Sephira because of our brother.”
“Yes. We came to make a proposal to Lord Keter and Sephira.”
“Your attitude is polite. But wasn’t it you who ate the ox’s heart and released the mosquitoes?”
“Not me, but one of our members did. Without a leader, we’re all equal, but it also means we lack control.”
“That’s your problem. Right now, everyone is keeping quiet because they think it was Lord Keter’s doing, but if they find out creatures like you are living underground, even the kind Sephira won’t just watch.”
Despite his cute appearance, Daat was very decisive and cold.
Yoka looked into Daat’s eyes.
The Smallfolk, true to their name, are very small. Smaller than goblins. But despite their cute appearance, they are among the best assassins in this world.
A race born for assassination. Many transcendent beings have died underestimating their small size and cute looks.
Being alive means being strong. Yoka is strong. Few can look directly into his eyes.
But-
His opponent is Daat.
“Why are your eyes so wide?”
Born and raised in the crime city of Ruquer, living under Keter, Daat couldn’t lose in a staring contest.
Yoka nodded, confirming that Daat was no ordinary person.
“We know a bit about you, Lord Daat. You’re Lord Keter’s right-hand man.”
“You think of me as his subordinate?”
“Isn’t that so?”
“Completely different. More than a subordinate, a friend. More than a friend, a reliable comrade. Also, a versatile and knowledgeable strategist.”
Whoosh.
Like Keter, Daat pointed at himself with his thumb and declared confidently.
“And also a Space-Time Mage.”
Yoka stepped back into the darkness at Daat’s confident introduction.
Whisper, whisper.
Yoka, who had whispered with someone in the darkness, stepped forward again.
“Understood. Since Lord Keter seems unable to talk now, I’ll discuss with you, Lord Daat.”
“Of course.”
“Follow me. Everyone is waiting.”
Yoka led the way.
Daat followed.
Step, step.
Daat suddenly thought.
‘I’ve grown.’
In the past, his heart would have been pounding with tension, worried the opponent might hear it.
But now, he’s completely calm. Even walking alone in the dark, facing a race specialized in assassination like Yoka. He even had the leisure to engage in conversation.
“All the Knights of Sephira are alive, right?”
“Of course. We didn’t come to fight.”
“How long have you been here?”
“In human time, I’m not sure, but not long.”
“Why didn’t you try to talk right away?”
“You were fighting. We were taught not to talk to humans excited from battle.”
“Are you a girl?”
“…That’s a sudden question.”
“Just curious. You don’t seem like a guy.”
As eccentric as Keter, Daat was even more curious.
“All Smallfolk are androgynous.”
“In what way?”
“……”
Yoka eventually closed his mouth first. But Daat wasn’t one to stop the conversation.
“How many live in this tunnel?”
“I don’t know exactly. Not all heteromorphic races are sociable.”
“Not sociable, yet you live under someone else’s land.”
“Because we’re desperate.”
The atmosphere became somewhat heavy, but Daat kept asking questions.
After all the serious and trivial talk, Yoka’s steps suddenly stopped. Ahead, a faint light flowed from a cavern.
“We’re here.”
“Phew.”
Crack.
Daat stretched his arms and cracked his neck, ready. His mind was already prepared, so he stepped into the cavern without hesitation.
The moderately large cavern was faintly lit by moonlight. Daat knew it was the light of the rare Moonstone, more precious than Sunstone.
In the center of the cavern was a stone table and chairs, with about nine figures sitting around it. Each one looked different.
“Long time no see.”
One of them stood up and greeted Daat.
Daat was unsure. The voice was familiar, but it had been too long to remember clearly.
“Have you forgotten me?”
But hearing it twice and getting closer to the table, he couldn’t not know.
“Ah, no. Why are you here?”
Seven fluffy tails.
A body that stirs the desires of all males.
She was one of the Seven Evil Tribes, the Fox Tribe-
“Sister-in-law?!”
Inara, Keter’s lover from the Ruquer days.