Chapter 277 Whirlpool (3)

Chapter 277 Whirlpool (3)

"No...!"

That was the swordsman's last will and testament.

Amelia ignored him and stomped on his head, crushing it like a watermelon.

Squish.

It was a bit anticlimactic.

He had struggled so fiercely, only to end up like this.

"Barbarian."

Amelia turned her attention to me.

"You're badly injured."

What the hell is she talking about?

"You're missing an arm."

"I didn't have time."

Why is she talking about time?

Is this even a normal conversation?

As I was wondering...

"I didn't expect you to still have this."

Amelia rummaged through the swordsman's body and pulled out a severed arm from his subspace pocket.

What the hell is that doing in there?

I frowned, but Amelia calmly placed the arm on the stump.

'Wait, that's not going to...'

"It will take another day for the nerves to fully recover."

'...It's reattaching?'

She just pressed it against the stump for about 10 seconds, and it reattached as if glued. It seemed like it was his arm, judging by the perfect fit.

'She said she couldn't use potions.'

I recalled our previous conversation.

[...You didn't use a potion?]

[I can't.]

Our brief exchange in the sewers.

'She must have absorbed that essence.'

[Fountain of Immortality].

It nullified all healing effects, including potions, but it greatly increased natural regeneration. Even severed limbs would reattach over time, so it was a cost-effective essence—

"Bjorn! Are you okay?! Why are you so injured...?"

Ah, right, now's not the time for this.

I snapped out of my thoughts and pushed myself off the ground. I was dying to know what had happened to Misha...

But that could wait.

"I'm fine. Just help me up."

"Okay, come here!"

I walked towards my companions, supported by Ainar. Everyone was gathered in one place.

"Misha... I'm so glad you're okay. Yandel was really worried..."

"Ah, sorry for being late. Something came up. But who's that lying over there...?"

Misha saw the man lying on the ground and gasped.

"Avman?! Is, is he dead...?"

"..."

Raven didn't answer.

She just stared at the ground with a sad expression.

I let go of Ainar's arm, and Misha rushed over to check Avman's breathing.

"He's... not breathing..."

Misha looked at me with wide eyes and then checked his pulse.

And...

"There's no pulse either. Then, he really..."

She couldn't finish her sentence and lowered her head.

Seeing that...

"...Yes."

Raven bit her lip, as if she was about to cry, and confirmed it.

This was ridiculous.

'Yes? He's clearly alive.'

Ugh, this is going to be the death of me.

"Why are you saying he's dead when he's clearly alive?"

I walked towards Avman, my body aching, and showed them his wrist.

No. 7611 'Deceiver of the Necromancer'.

The item that put you in a state of suspended animation and granted temporary damage immunity when you received a fatal blow.

"It seems like it worked."

Only one of the jewels on the bracelet was glowing.

But Raven didn't know about this item?

"What? What do you mean...?"

I didn't have the energy to explain, so I just opened a potion and poured it on Avman.

Sizzle.

The dried blood started bubbling.

It meant he was still alive.

A potion wouldn't react to a dead body.

"Ersina, heal him."

"Ah, ah... Yes! I'll do it right away!"

Avman's wounds started to heal quickly after receiving the potion and the priestess' healing.

Phew, he'll be fine now.

I was glad we arrived before the item's effect ended.

And that I was still conscious. If I had passed out, they would have thought he was dead and cried over his body.

"Mister, you should also get treated..."

Erwen approached me, but...

"Ah."

Right, I also need healing.

"Huh?"

As I tried to move, the world tilted.

Thud!

That was my last memory.

___________________

When I woke up, it was dark.

Tall trees and dark blue leaves. A small patch of night sky was visible through them.

Crackle, crackle, tick!

The sound of a campfire.

I felt a strange sense of comfort and wanted to stay there a little longer.

But...

'I have to figure out what's going on.'

I pushed myself up and sat up.

My entire body ached, from my shoulders to my waist and calves.

It was a different kind of pain thanks to Pain Resistance.

"Phew."

I let out a deep breath.

But it would be weird for me to tell her to leave.

"But mister, should we wake her up?"

"Misha? No, she's fine. Why would we wake her up when she's sleeping peacefully? Let her sleep."

No one had woken up while we were talking.

They must be exhausted from the battles.

We can talk later.

"By the way, Amelia."

I got out of my sleeping bag and sat down by the campfire.

And I thanked her.

"Thank you for helping me yesterday."

"You're being unusually polite. Just ask your question."

Hey, even barbarians can be polite sometimes.

Anyway, I got straight to the point.

"What happened between you and Misha?"

"Didn't you hear from the fairy?"

"I want to hear it from you."

"...Tsk."

Amelia clicked her tongue, but she told me what happened.

How she was betrayed by Carmilla and Belverson.

How she met Misha and received her help.

I was surprised by one part.

"What? She had a [Declaration of Evil's End] scroll? That's a rare item."

Divine scrolls haven't been made for a long time since the crafting method was lost.

They were valuable treasures.

Where did she get it...

'Oh, she must have looted it.'

"Ahem, sorry for interrupting. Continue."

"You look annoyed."

"It's your imagination."

Anyway, thanks to the [Declaration of Evil's End] scroll, Amelia and Misha were able to survive the monster wave.

And after that, Amelia recovered enough to move.

"But I still don't understand. How did you two get here through all those monsters?"

"...There's an essence. It prevents monsters from attacking first."

Ah, she absorbed that essence.

But why?

She could have just brought a priestess...

'Oh, there are no priests in Noark.'

And she was a looter.

That essence would have been very useful for solo exploration.

"So that's all you're curious about?"

"No, there's more."

"Go ahead."

"Do you know why this island is like this?"

Who triggered the event on this island?

I asked indirectly, and Amelia gave me the answer.

"Carmilla and Belverson. They touched Gavrilius' Arrangement. They thought they had to trap me here and kill me after I escaped."

Hmm, so that's what happened.

Maybe one of those two was a player.

Gavrilius' Arrangement refers to a hidden piece.

But the hidden piece on this island was something very few players knew about.

"Did you hear that from the summoner?"

"Yes."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't forgive traitors."

She killed her.

'Ugh, why did she kill her?'

That summoner could control a rare flying summon.

We could have used her to escape the island.

'Well, it's no use crying over spilled milk.'

I didn't want to ruin our relationship by criticizing her.

"Anyway, so you found the item?"

"..."

Amelia didn't answer.

She seemed to be debating whether to tell me or not.

I spoke softly.

"Come on, there's nothing to hide between us."

"Between us...?"

"I'm practically your lifesaver, aren't I?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Do you think Misha would have saved you if she didn't know me?"

"..."

Amelia didn't object.

She seemed to agree.

She just clicked her tongue and answered my question.

"I recovered it. They said it was hidden, but it was in their subspace pocket."

"I knew it. Those bastards wouldn't leave a treasure lying around."

"So that's all you're curious about?"

No, of course not.

"One more thing."

I asked my last question.

"What is that item? I heard it's powerful enough to change history—"

"Stop."

Amelia cut me off.

Damn, was that a sensitive topic?

"Don't ask. I was just curious!"

I hurriedly explained that I didn't mean anything by it, seeing her frown.

But maybe I had misunderstood?

"Monster."

Amelia muttered something strange, staring into space.

...Monster?

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A strong wind suddenly swept through the forest, shaking the trees.

Then I understood what she meant.

Damn it, I wanted to rest a little longer.

"There's a powerful monster nearby. Wake up your companions."

The last wave had begun.