Chapter 158

Chapter 158

[Karma Eater(SSR) Lv.45]

- Category: Longsword

- Attack Power: 30-40

- Durability: 20/20

- Strength+10 Intelligence+10

- A sword for those who pursue the middle path. It devours any extreme state of light and darkness, chaos and order, converting it into power.

- It generates sword energy by consuming Affinity Points. The sword energy deals double the weapons attack power as magic damage. It cannot be used when the relevant affinity points reach 0.

<Expand the list of applicable affinity points>

"Holy crap!"

He startled and grabbed the sword. No way! The Karma Eater dropped here!

This weapon has a horrifying concept of increasing damage by feeding it affinity points.

One could think its a hassle to use because you have to constantly feed it affinity points to unleash its power, but think about it from another perspective?

You can reset wrongly invested affinity points with this weapon!

Such as a paladin who accidentally took a negative trait and ended up with dark affinity, or a necromancer who mistakenly received a blessing and got filled with light... these ruined characters inevitably come up when playing the game.

If you cant find a way to reset them, you have to reluctantly abandon them, tears in your eyes.

But if you have the Karma Eater? Easily solved!

Thats why its more often given as a relief to characters who messed up during development, rather than used as a weapon in the game.

Of course, if you keep feeding it affinity points to maintain the sword energy, it can deal tremendous damage. But constantly supplying the points is easier said than done...

Wait a second.

I expanded the list of affinity points the [Karma Eater] could consume. And soon enough, I found it.

<Humanity Affinity Points>

[Beast Holy]

Its there.

The humanity affinity traits [Beast Transformation] and [Holiness].

To put it simply, if you abandon humanity and walk the path of the beast, the beast transformation points increase, and if you excessively acquire humanity, you gain divinity and ascend.

Either way, its a path of abandoning humanity...

When the beast transformation points increase, bonus stats are added to physical attack and defense, and you acquire the exclusive passive, Carnality.

However, if the points go too high, you become a bloodthirsty beast that knows nothing but battle.

When the holiness points increase, bonus stats are added to magic attack and defense, and you acquire the exclusive passive, Revelation.

However, if the points go too high, your self melts into the divine, and you become a puppet of a higher deity.

It can be considered a forbidden trait that eventually leaves the players control, even though it gives an immediate power-up to the characters basic performance.

Most characters dont even get the chance to see this trait.

Abandoning or adding humanity is not as easy as it sounds, its typically a difficult concept to even understand.

How on earth did Lucas awaken the beast transformation on his own...

I recalled the beast transformation Lucas had used in the last defense battle. The way my knight swayed like a lone wolf.

I was already planning to strictly advise him against using it ever again.

...But if we have the Karma Eater?

Use beast transformation to raise the beast affinity pointsFeed the increased affinity points to the Karma Eater and convert it to sword energyUse beast transformation to raise the beast affinity points again... Isnt this an infinite cycle?

"Hmm."

I pondered and shook my head.

If we risk messing with the affinity and walk the tightrope, and if something goes wrong, our protagonist Lucas could cross an irreversible river.

After feeding the Karma Eater and emptying the raised beast transformation points, we should never use it again.

"Phew."

I organized the items I had gained today.

I dont know how the future battle line will develop, but they will all be helpful.

Use them wisely.

Remembering the lives that fell in the last defense battle, I bowed my head.

I wont waste the spoils gained from your lives.

...Although Im a bit upset that they split my exclusive equipment into five pieces.

Damn, that was crossing the line, honestly!

***

I decided not to explore freely until the next defense battle.

The wounds from the last battle havent even healed yet.

The same goes for the damaged equipment, which hasnt been repaired either. I decided it would be too much to explore freely during the remaining time.

I had taken a break to rest my party members, repair broken equipment, order new ones, and restore the walls and artifacts...

Three days later.

I visited the temple.

"Your Highness."

Lucas, who had been assigned the task of searching inside the temple, was waiting at the entrance. I nodded at him.

"Lucas. How did it go?"

"I thoroughly searched inside the temple, but besides the statue of the Goddess we found earlier, there were no items used for spying."

"I see. What about Margarita?"

She had been a regular member who had performed till the end in the Hell Ironman clears.

All this time in Crossroad, she had always healed patients with a stern and straightforward face... It was truly an image befitting of a saintess. How on earth did she end up like this?

"I just wanted to heal the injured people, purely..."

Margarita mumbled with a hiccuping voice, inebriated.

"Thats because I believed that was the reason the Goddess bestowed me with healing abilities. Hic!"

"..."

"And then, instead, in the embassy, they ruthlessly promote me to the priests office... They send me to Crossroad... I still came here to treat people, but they suddenly make me do spy activities, and Your Highness makes me fight monsters by lifting me up the city walls..."

"Um, Saintess."

"Then I got exposed during the espionage... Everyone looks at me with suspicious eyes... Damn it, really, I told them so many times that I cant do this... Damn those central bastards..."

"Saintess, first, calm down."

"I dont know anymore, just... Send me home. Hic. Forget about being a saintess and let me retire..."

"..."

Seeing Margarita starting to thud her forehead against the table, I cautiously sat next to her on the chair.

"Saintess. Calm down and listen to me. Anyway, now we need to help each other."

"Youre going to put me on the city walls... I dont want to, monsters are scary... I refuse..."

"Lets put the monster issue aside for now, and think, Saintess. Youve been exposed as a spy. Even your espionage methods have been discovered."

Margarita rolled her eyes and looked at me. I gave a sly smile.

"Although I dont know, Im sure both the embassy and the secret agency must be in chaos right now. The entire continents priest spy network must have gone into full inspection. Maybe they are even overhauling the entire spy system that the secret agency had been building."

"...!"

"And all this happened because you got caught by me. The secret agency wont let you off the hook, will they?"

With her face turning pale, Margarita asked in a trembling voice.

"So, what happens to me now...?"

"In the worst-case scenario, youll be removed without anyone knowing."

"Huuk."

"So, were in the same boat."

I leaned in close and whispered softly.

"Now that its come to this, join my side completely, Saintess. Not central, not the embassy, but join the force of the Third Prince Ash. Ill protect you safely."

"..."

"I may not know about other things, but I take good care of my people."

I will put her on the city walls, but thats another matter.

Facing monsters or humans, it was time to choose the lesser of the two evils.

"What do you think?"

At my proposal, Margarita mumbled with a gloomy face.

"...Anyway, I have no other way, Your Highness..."

I smiled broadly.

Youve always been my main healer in the game, Margarita. There were things that happened, but lets do well together this time as well.

***

Having somewhat resolved the internal strife, we kept preparing for the defensive battle.

Time passed like a shot, and three days later.

The morning of the day of the defensive battle dawned.

We had prepared hard for the past week, but time was short.

The heroes were still injured, the equipment we had ordered was not fully made, and the repairs of the city walls were incomplete.

But the monsters didnt care about the situation of the humans and revealed themselves.

"Theyre coming-!"

The scout yelled at the top of his lungs.

I hoisted up my telescope and peered into the southern sky.

Breaking through the cloudy sky, hundreds of wyverns appeared, their wings spread wide.

The monstrous formation blotted out the suns light, plunging the area into darkness.

Shit. There were so fucking many.

Although I didnt like it, I turned to Lucas standing next to me and asked.

"Any reinforcements from the Empire?"

Lucas, careful as if he didnt like it either, responded.

"...Weve received no news yet."

No news meant none of the scouts we had sent north had seen any signs of incoming reinforcements.

Regardless of the size of the reinforcements, if they were coming by land, theres no way my scouts wouldnt have noticed.

But there was still radio silence.

I ground my teeth in frustration.

Those damn central bastards...! That damn second brother!

Were the reinforcements a lie? Are they screwing me over like this?

Even as these thoughts raced through my mind, the wyvern legion was closing in on the Crossroad at a terrifying speed.

They were nearly upon us.