Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 254 Blood pours down relentlessly as if it were sweat. Arms and legs seemed to grow heavier with each step. The Warrior sensed it intuitively. If he didn't stop now, he would face irreversible consequences. He lowers his head. Turns his back. And humbly accepts it. His own defeat. That was truly the path to preserving the future. The Warrior knew this clearly. "No..." The Warrior moved forward. As if there was a cliff behind him with nowhere to retreat. He holds his head up straight. As if his head would fall off the moment he lowered it. The Warrior thought. Is there truly value in a future that can only be enjoyed by letting go of everything? Would the things he once let go still be waiting for him there? "No..." That's why the Warrior didn't let go of what was now in his grasp. What he let go of was himself, caught in lingering attachments and obsessions. Thus the Warrior molted. The sight of him burning and blooming with everything he had was truly precarious. Foolish. And magnificent. - Ancient Skill Book: [Molting] *** Risir, the Master of Sacred Sword. The Saint had shared many conversations with him and learned what an upright and pure soul he possessed. He was truly someone worthy of coming to this place. Someone who could pass the demanding judgment of the fairy, and someone her companions would find agreeable no matter who looked at him. He was certainly qualified to inherit the Hero's legacy. However. In the Saint's view, he had paid far too much of a price to reach this point. Molting. The forbidden power that sacrifices the future to grasp a perfect present. The sight of this man casually mentioning such power gave her much to think about. Purity. Uprightness. And ordinariness. He was a young man who possessed all these virtues. The journey for such a person to reach this place must not have been easy. He must have endured countless hardships and adversities that ordinary people couldn't even imagine. Then, how did he overcome those hardships and adversities? Just how many times did he use that forbidden power in the process? The Saint wondered. Perhaps- no. Certainly. It would exceed once. Right at this moment. The Saint's uneasy premonition was proven spectacularly right. "...roughly dozens of times?" Spectacularly so, indeed. The Saint and fairy's minds began working frantically. They were now recalling those who had wielded the power of Molting. More precisely, the price they had to pay for wielding the power of Molting. 'It varies depending on the intensity of application, but... once it exceeds three times, no matter how strong or young someone is- their future cannot be guaranteed.' A power that required giving up the future just by applying it. It could be considered somewhat unreasonable, but considering the nature of that power, it was rather natural. A power that perfects the body while raising one's Status without any restrictions or conditions! Giving up the future was about the appropriate price equivalent to that power. 'But what did he say?' That he had experienced such Molting roughly dozens of times so far? The fairy and Saint couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh. If that were true, Risir's growth process could be summarized in one phrase. -Just breathing quietly would automatically raise his level. Even to them, who had grown accustomed to all kinds of extraordinary tales as members of the Hero Party, it was an absurd story. "That, by any chance. Is it a joke?" "It really must seem like a joke, but as much as it seems like a joke, it's not a joke." However, Risir's attitude as he spoke remained consistently sincere and furthermore serious. 'What kind of opportunity have I caught here.' Finally, he met people who would treat his story as truth rather than a joke. Risir had absolutely no intention of wasting such an encounter. Strict. Solemn. Serious. Risir spoke in a firm tone that completely blocked any possibility of the conversation going astray. "You all must have clearly witnessed it at that moment. The moment when I suddenly underwent 'Molting'. Isn't that right!?" The fairy and Saint were swept along by Risir's desperate momentum and nodded their heads. "Exactly the same symptoms! Or phenomena! Or effects! I have repeatedly experienced these until now. As I just mentioned, roughly dozens of times." The story ended there. After that, Risir spoke to the two with his eyes. -So. -Please give me some advice. That man's faith. That man's expectations! These were things many could not bear. However. Should they truly be called members of the Hero Party? Great heroes of an era that held even more Mystery and unknown than the present time. They showed reactions not unworthy of their reputation. The fairy thought for a moment then spoke to the Saint. "Tara. What are you thinking right now?" "Very many thoughts are going through my mind." They exchanged meaningful glances. Eventually. Both spoke at the same time. ""Intrinsic Color."" That was the word that was mentioned. Agreement of opinion. The two looked at each other and nodded repeatedly. Risir watched the two of them with wide eyes. "Intrinsic Color..." The mention of a word that was both unfamiliar and familiar. What Risir first recalled through it was none other than his Master's words. 'Come to think of it. Master also said that the identity of my ability might be an 'Intrinsic Color'.' When Pamon first encountered Risir's ability, she had mentioned 'Intrinsic Color' regarding the incomprehensibility of that ability. And- that was all. Intrinsic Color was a rare quality that was difficult to encounter even for that dark elf who was a disciple of the Night of the Forest. Pamon had only heard of the existence of Intrinsic Color through stories. Like most people in the world. Therefore, while she suspected Risir's ability to be an Intrinsic Color, she couldn't identify it precisely. However, the Hero's companions seemed different. "That Demon from back then. Do you remember?" "How could I forget. That nightmarish ability. That Intrinsic Color." "As expected. You thought of the same thing as me." They didn't stop at mere speculation. Unlike most people in the world, they had experience directly encountering the extremely rare quality called Intrinsic Color. That time. That thing. That ability. The conversation between the two proceeded based on shared memories. Risir could neither join in that conversation nor understand it. "Oh..." Nevertheless. Risir's eyes looking at the two were shining mercilessly. To deduce the identity of this ability through nothing other than 'experience' and 'memory'. It was an attempt that none of the great figures Risir had met so far could make. An era filled with countless more incomprehensible things than the present. Wasn't this an attempt possible only because they were the Hero Party that stood at the center of that era? Risir's legs moved restlessly. As if it was impossible to stay still. Thus, Risir struggled to calm himself and waited for their conversation to end. "Then-" Eventually their conversation came to a close. The Saint stood up from her seat and gestured to Risir. "Risir. Will you follow me?" Thud! Risir jumped up from his seat as if he had been waiting. *** The place Risir arrived at following the two was the familiar cathedral. He observed the interior of the cathedral with a markedly different perspective than before. 'This place...' Having stayed outside the cathedral, he could clearly tell. Just how dense the Aura filling the interior of the cathedral was. Risir recalled the Grand Master's forest- its deepest part. Perhaps this cathedral was the core location corresponding to the heart of the Saint's village? Where the Saint stopped was the spot where the strongest Aura gathered even within such a cathedral interior. It was also the place where the colorful lights created by the stained glass concentrated. The Saint stood in that spot and spoke to Risir. "Risir." Risir unconsciously focused his eyes. For a moment, it felt as if those colorful brilliant lights were flowing out from the Saint's body. It was literally a dazzling Aura. "From now on, I want to show you a part of my memories." "What kind of memories?" "Memories about someone who possessed the same 'Intrinsic Color' as you." "...!" Leaving the surprised Risir behind, the Saint continued her explanation. "How much do you know about Intrinsic Color?" "An individual's unique magical nature... isn't it?" "That's right. Such unique magical nature grants the owner unique abilities. And. Abilities arising from Intrinsic Color sometimes ignore the laws of the world. Quite simply." The Saint gestured toward Risir. "Like yours and 'his' abilities." Then she brought her two hands together neatly. "...!" Risir's body reflexively shrank. That vast flow of Aura reminded him of the 'forest's attack' he had experienced before. Grand Master Labella. It was like when she moved the entire forest like limbs to subdue intruders. The vast Aura comprising the space began to surge in response to the Saint's small gesture. The colorful lights created by the stained glass swirled. Eventually it seemed to swallow the entire place, but instead became trapped in something. It was a door. "That's-" Before he knew it, the Saint was standing with her back to a massive stone door. Colorful light overflowed through the gaps of that door. "Will you hold my hand?" The Saint demurely extended her hand. When Risir grasped that hand, the Saint turned around to face the stone door. In that moment, Risir felt a light weight added to his shoulder. The fairy Shuyen was sitting there, directing a playful gaze at him. "I'm not trying to scare you. You mustn't let go of her hand, okay?" Risir was startled and gripped the held hand with all his strength. Creak- At the same time, the stone door opened. Brilliant light swallowed Risir. -...! Risir felt as if he was trapped in something. It wasn't an illusion. "Hey, Shuyen! Tara!!! Don't we have some plan!?! That damn thing! No matter how much I break it, it keeps coming back to life!!!" Risir immediately realized. That rough voice was coming from his own mouth. More precisely. He had now become the owner of that voice. The moment he became aware of this, a vivid wave of sensation overwhelmed Risir. -Don't be surprised. Then. The Saint's voice was heard. -Right now, you are experiencing my memories. 'Experiencing memories...' -By becoming part of that experience, very vividly indeed. Don't get swept away by those sensations. There's only one thing you need to focus on now. Look ahead. Risir obediently followed her instructions. 'Uh-...' And he was overwhelmed by the scene unfolding before his eyes. The Hero Party's combined attack. A man was being swept up in waves of power. His body was broken, torn, severed, and exploded. It was a violent assault and injury that even a Swordmaster would find hard to endure. The man was taking such an assault with his bare body. With unrealistic recovery power that transcended those assaults. Broken bones were immediately mended. Torn skin immediately healed. Severed arms immediately reattached. The exploded head returned as if time had been reversed. 'What on earth is that...?' When Risir spoke as if disgusted, the fairy answered. -An immortal. Someone who possessed the Intrinsic Color of 'Super Life Force'. As you can see, the Intrinsic Color he possessed brought Life Force that defied reason to its owner. Right now, Risir had become a member of the Hero Party unleashing that assault. So he could clearly know how persistent that immortal's Life Force was. Showing once was better than explaining a hundred times. It was the moment when the existence of that Intrinsic Color was conveyed to Risir as clearly as possible. "Ah...!" Vision rapidly pushed backward. The sensation of his body flying backward. Before he knew it, Risir was standing in the cathedral again. As Risir was organizing the information and emotions that had been practically injected into his mind, the Saint approached. "Risir." Her voice sounded somehow elevated. "You said it. The complete recovery accompanied by Status elevation you showed before. That you experienced it dozens of times." "That's, right." "Molting. That is not an omnipotent power. It's a forbidden secret technique that draws upon future Life Force. No matter how robust a being is, if the number of times is repeated, their Life Force will be depleted." "Then I am...!" "That's right. Normally you should have already exhausted your Life Force and turned to dust. But. Look at yourself now. Far from being depleted of Life Force, it seems to be overflowing." "...Are you saying that's thanks to Intrinsic Color?" "That's right. There's no explanation otherwise. There's a high probability that you possess an Intrinsic Color of similar nature to the being you just saw. The abnormal Life Force that Intrinsic Color brings is protecting you from the side effects of Molting." "Oh..." Risir looked down at his own hands. "Is that so... Was that it..." His breathing became rapid. It was thanks to the resolution of his questions, and at the same time thanks to the resolution of his anxiety. The abnormal and intermittent recovery ability. Risir's question about whether a price for it would come someday had been resolved along with that anxiety. Thus. One of the countless questions Risir had been carrying was resolved. "Saint!" Risir spoke to her riding on his momentum. About his other abilities. Abilities that couldn't be identified by conventional methods- no, Intrinsic Colors! Thus he mentioned the Power of Purification. He brought out the spirits(?) that proved his vast Inner World and showed them. He told the story of becoming a Guardian Spirit. And- "Wait!" Then the fairy urgently raised her hand. They began to converse again, putting their heads together. Intrinsic Color is, as its name suggests, a unique quality possessed by an individual. Naturally, one body (Aura) can only possess one. They couldn't help but be flustered by Risir's behavior of asking questions while listing them in order: 'this Intrinsic Color is what, this Intrinsic Color is what, and this Intrinsic Color is-' In the end. They had no choice but to overturn their existing conclusion. His abilities might not be identified as 'Intrinsic Color'. "Damn... Then what is it?" The Hero Party had fallen into complete confusion. "Huh?" Then. The Saint opened her eyes wide and looked at Risir. "Wait. Did you just say Power of Purification?" "Ah, yes. It's the power to purify Negative Energy." "That power, how-" Too much information and questions. The Saint held her head and struggled to organize her words. "When you use that power, what happens to you?" It was a carefully chosen question. The Power of Purification. She was a Saint who met her end with her body disappearing after overusing that Divine Authority. For her, she couldn't help but be curious about how Risir could handle both 'Power of Purification' and 'Molting' simultaneously. The price that comes with using the Power of Purification. Loss of Status. That wasn't something that could be handled even with infinite Life Force. "Ah! Actually, that's connected to 'Molting'- In fact, when I purify specific targets through this Power of Purification, that 'Molting' would sometimes occur. So I was thinking that perhaps the cause of this 'Molting' lies in the Power of Purification!" The Saint gradually weakened physically while using the Power of Purification. She lost her Aura. Thus she met death. Risir said. Using the Power of Purification made his body healthier and raised his Status. "What kind of nonsense is that!?" The Saint lost her reason and grabbed Risir by the collar.