Chapter 39: Ash Flower ③: Holy Edge

When humans find even the faintest glimmer of hope, they somehow muster the strength to keep going.

Even if that hope is as thin as a strand of hair.

I pull out the egg-shaped container from my pouch.

Pouring its contents over the blade of my knife, the wet surface begins to shimmer with light.

Eight skeletons are closing in—there’s no doubt they’ve spotted me.

Stepping out from the shadow of a tree, I slash at the nearest skeleton.

The blade strikes its arm bone. That’s all it takes.

The skeleton instantly dissipates into mist.

“What the…!?”

What just happened? Is this some kind of mistake?

I dodge a thrust from a spear-wielding skeleton and slice its arm.

Barely dodging the attack, I realize these skeletons aren’t ordinary.

Yet even this strong, armored skeleton crumbles from a mere scratch.

Unbelievable.

This has to be some kind of mistake—I’m too shocked and confused to fully process it.

Driven by curiosity, I recklessly dive into the horde of skeletons.

I manage to defeat around 100 of them.

It wasn’t easy; I nearly died several times. But I did it.

“…This is the power of the Elixir, huh?”

The might of this legendary, supreme healing potion is… overwhelming.

Honestly, it’s terrifying.

This isn’t just strong—it’s completely overpowered. A cheat.

What had been a faint, fragile glimmer of hope has now exploded into a blinding light, like the sun.

At this point, I can’t even imagine losing.

The tension of life-or-death is slipping away—but that’s dangerous.

Letting my guard down now would be the greatest threat.

The ocean of skeletons stretches as far as the eye can see.

A hundred kills? That’s just a single ripple in this vast sea.

There’s no way anyone could make it out of this alive.

But still…

Right now, I feel like I could swim through this sea.

Maybe even dive beneath it.

Heck, I might as well surf on it.

“California Dreamin’” in a sea of bones!

“…What am I even saying?”

Suddenly, I snap back to my senses.

Swimming through a skeleton horde? Ridiculous.

And “California Dreamin’”?

Clearly, I’ve been riding a high.

Looking back, this is the greatest danger I’ve ever faced.

After living cautiously, I’ve finally found myself in the most critical moment of my life.

This world is harsh and unforgiving.

But this situation? This is entirely my fault.

My lack of curiosity about the forest has come back to bite me.

And yet, amidst this chaos, I feel an unexpected joy.

Right now, I feel unbeatable.

Earlier, it was like being trapped in a brutal death game.

Now? It’s like playing a beginner-level action RPG.

I take a deep breath.

Calm down. Stay focused.

“Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale…”

Repeating this, I finally regain my composure.

Alright. While I still have this moment of reprieve…

“[Fortune’s Wheel].”

There’s no need to say it aloud, but I do anyway.

I’d been misunderstanding this relic—or rather, I’d completely forgotten its true purpose.

The [Fortune’s Wheel] isn’t for finding items.

It reveals good fortune by lighting the way.

That light represents luck—my luck.

And now, I see three lights: green, yellow, and blue.

Green represents rare. Yellow is super rare.

And blue? That’s an ultra-super-rare, almost unheard of.

Across the vast sea of skeletons, a distinct blue light shines clearly.

I don’t know what’s there.

I don’t know what will happen.

But that light is the beacon of my fortune.

Heading toward it is my best option right now.

With a knife still gleaming brightly from a mere coating, I ready myself.

This can’t be a permanent enchantment… can it?

Harboring a sliver of doubt, I plunge into the skeleton sea.

Toward the light, only the light. I focus solely on reaching it.

I cross the skeleton sea.

It takes longer than I expected.

Thanks to the elixir-coated knife, every skeleton falls in one strike.

Yet the skeletons remain formidable.

I had moments where I thought I’d die, and I’m exhausted.

But even that fatigue is erased by the elixir.

Strangely enough, after I cross, despite many skeletons still remaining,

they stop pursuing me.

It’s then I realize something—the forest is gone.

The trees and gravestones that had surrounded me are nowhere to be found.

Now that I think about it, even during the fight in the skeleton sea,

there hadn’t been any trees or gravestones.

Could this be the true nature of this place?

“…An illusion? Or a mirage?”

I won’t find the answer by thinking about it.

Ahead of me, a narrow path stretches onward.

At its end, the singular blue light continues to shine.

Out of curiosity, I activate the relic [Danger Detection].

Pitch black.

Aside from the white path and the blue light, everything else is shrouded in darkness.

“…A bridge.”

A crude wooden bridge arches before me.

At its midpoint stands a figure clad in black armor.

The armored figure is at least three heads taller than me—an imposing, adult form.

Its heavy black armor is adorned with ornate gold trim, and it wields a drawn sword.

The helmet bears upward-curving horns,

and eerie blackish-purple flames flicker across its surface.

Beneath the helmet, where a skull-like visage stares outward,

two ominous, glowing red eyes pierce through.

The figure turns its gaze toward me.

In an instant, I know.

It’s impossible.

There’s no reasoning with this mysterious armored knight.

If I want to proceed, I’ll have to fight—and win.

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