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Chapter 310: Monstrosity (2)

[I know many things. When do you think I started residing within you? I’m the only one in this world who knows your true origin.]

The Monstrosity had been within Ketal since not long after he arrived in this world.

It had been there even when he was so weak that he couldn\'t fend off even the smallest threat.

[I know about you. If others come to realize who you are, they will beg for mercy and plead to stay away. But I will neither bow nor beg for mercy, nor willingly cooperate. That is my pride.]

The Monstrosity spoke with an oddly proud tone.

“Well, suit yourself.”

Ketal shrugged.

After all, the Monstrosity was a part of him, embedded so deeply it was practically intertwined with his own essence.

It couldn\'t leave him, nor did it intend to.

Now that he had reached the level of a superhuman, he could use aura without the Monstrosity\'s help.

He didn’t need to force cooperation.

“But you know…”

A warning was always good.

Ketal smiled.

“That should be something only you know.”

The air grew cold—literally, not figuratively.

The chilling effect reflected the cooled emotions within.

The Holy Sword swallowed its breath.

[As much as I hate to admit it, I am bound to you. I have no intention of challenging someone who can control me.]

“That’s good. I am a resident of this world, and that’s enough.”

Satisfied with the answer, Ketal hummed.

The Monstrosity sighed softly.

[A twisted monster… How did I end up stuck with someone like you?]

Ketal spent his time in the holy sanctuary, training his aura.

He stayed there for two reasons: to refine his mastery of mystery, which he still found challenging, and to await a resolution concerning the Holy Sword—a task that required Hephaestus\'s personal intervention.

Ketal suddenly had a question.

“I have a question.”

[Didn’t I already say I have no intention of answering?]

The Monstrosity replied coldly.

[Don’t ask me. I have no intention of giving a straight answer.]

“I wasn’t asking you, though.”

Ketal’s question was directed at the Holy Sword.

Realizing this, the Monstrosity muttered softly.

[...Shut up.]

“I wasn’t talking to you in the first place.”

[Shut up.]

Ketal chuckled.

“You talk more than I thought, considering you have no intention of answering.”

[He’s been trapped inside you for a long time, hasn’t he? Before that, he was stuck in a battle-axe, embedded in the snowy mountains. He was probably like me in that sense... I suppose he might have missed conversation too. It gives me a sense of kinship when I think about it that way.]

[…]

The Monstrosity’s emotions wavered slightly, though it stayed silent, knowing anything it said could only be used against it.

Ketal chuckled softly, scratching his chin.

‘This is getting slightly annoying.’

The Monstrosity and the Holy Sword—both were tied to him, making it easy to confuse them.

It wasn’t feasible to use specific names for them in every sentence.

[Anyway, is it me you wanted to ask something?]

“Yes. What would you want to do if your physical form were restored?”

[Uh, well… Hmm.]

The Holy Sword hesitated before speaking quietly.

“To be honest, I don’t want to be embedded there again. Not ever.”

It was only natural.

If the Holy Sword were to be returned there, waiting for the right wielder, it would mean the end of the sword\'s existence.

The sword\'s purpose was to serve as a vessel to bring a god down to the mortal realm.

“I see,”

Ketal murmured.

Time passed slowly until finally, Hephaestus summoned Ketal.

Through Grombir’s body, a celestial god descended to the mortal plane.

[Sorry for keeping you waiting. It’s all done.]

[Ugh.]

The Holy Sword let out a scream, and Hephaestus chuckled.

He gazed at Ketal with a curious expression.

[Hold on. There’s something… something different about you now. Something that wasn’t there before…]

“Oh? So gods can sense it. Grombir didn’t notice.”

Ketal murmured and looked down at his chest.

“Don’t you want to say something? You might’ve met ages ago.”

[Why should I?]

The Monstrosity replied coldly.

At its words, Hephaestus’s aura flared up.

Bang!

The divine power of the god of smiths surged, manifesting countless weapons—spears, swords, axes—all the types of weaponry in the world, gleaming with lethal intent.

It was instinctive, like a monkey recoiling at the sight of a snake.

For the gods, the Monstrosity was such a creature—one that evoked primal fear and hostility.

The Monstrosity sneered.

[Oh, so you’re showing off your toys. Put them away.]

“How about calming down?”

Ketal said calmly.

Though surrounded by countless weapons, he showed no fear.

After a moment, Hephaestus sighed.

[So, it’s true… it’s not just power you’ve absorbed. It’s actually… inside you. Since when?]

“Since I picked it up, apparently.”

[So it was there even when you were weak? And you had no issues?]

“I only recently realized it was inside me.”

[What?]

Hephaestus’s aura wavered.

[You didn’t even notice? Despite having something like the Monstrosity inside you?]

For someone not to notice such a presence—it was unimaginable.

If true, it meant one of two things:

Either he was an ignorant fool who couldn’t understand his own situation, or… he was something greater than the Monstrosity itself.

But that seemed impossible.

The Monstrosity was once a plague upon this world, defiling it.

Nothing could be greater, even if it was just a fragment of its former self.

[…Is that really true?]

“Yes.”

Ketal nodded thoughtfully.

‘Come to think of it, the Quest isn’t saying anything.’

Whenever he dealt with anything related to the Forbidden Lands, the system would usually react, but now it was silent.

After a brief pause, Ketal asked Hephaestus.

“Do you know the Monstrosity’s power?”

[…It kills all things. Down to their very core, leaving a wound that cannot heal.]

“A power of death?”

Ketal narrowed his eyes.

It seemed the Quest had no connection with the Monstrosity.

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Hephaestus groaned softly, taking a while to calm down.

[…Control is being maintained, right?]

“There will be no issues.”

[I’ll trust you. Hmph. I knew you were a bizarre being, but this is beyond that. It’s the most alien thing I’ve ever seen.]

“You’re taking it in rather easily.”

Ketal was slightly surprised, as Hephaestus’s reaction was calm.

Although he had briefly unleashed his power as if in a seizure and shown hostility, that was all.

“To be honest, I even expected a full-on fight.”

[You have done many things for the world.]

Hephaestus spoke calmly.

[You’ve helped others, fought against evil, and stood on our side. If you couldn’t control the Monstrosity, these things wouldn’t have been possible. With all you’ve shown, I have no reason to oppose you.]

“…I see.”

The things Ketal had done on the surface.

His actions, his efforts to be a part of the world by controlling himself—they held meaning.

A light expression of emotion appeared on Ketal’s face.

[It’s quite surprising, though. You could have just quietly perished back there, but you survived, like a cockroach. It’s disappointing.]

The Monstrosity remained silent, as if it didn’t care to respond.

Hephaestus shook his head, trying to regain his composure.

[We’ve strayed from the topic. Let’s return to the main point. To get straight to the conclusion, it is possible to restore the Holy Sword.]

It was possible to return the broken Holy Sword to its original state.

[But re-inserting the Holy Sword is questionable. After all, the Holy Sword has already recognized you as its master. It can’t seek a new owner now. And given that it now has a distinct consciousness, it would resist.]

“Hm.”

In the end, the Holy Sword was his.

He wasn’t particularly surprised, as he had expected as much.

And even if it hadn’t been so, Ketal had no intention of refusing it.

[So, I’ll ask something else. Do you need the Holy Sword?]

“If you’re asking if I need it, it’s not that I don’t. The information it holds is something I don’t have.”

The Holy Sword’s knowledge of gods and demons was certainly valuable to Ketal.

[But you don’t need it as a weapon.]

“I have this.”

Ketal shook the axe hanging at his side.

He had an axe that was part of the Monstrosity.

So far, it had shown unmatched strength, never faltering.

Now that he could also wield aura, the Holy Sword’s value as a weapon was limited.

[I understand enough. Proceeding as planned should be fine. Hand over the Holy Sword to me.]

Ketal gazed at Hephaestus wordlessly.

Hephaestus spoke as if understanding his hesitation.

[I won’t do anything that would harm the Holy Sword. You can trust me.]

“Understood.”

Ketal handed over the broken Holy Sword.

The sword shrieked in Hephaestus’s hand.

[Uwaaaah!]

[Quiet down, you wretched thing.]

Hephaestus lightly tapped the blade and looked at it with a peculiar gaze.

[I created you. It wouldn’t be wrong to call myself your father. But the reason I brought you into existence was to use you as a vessel.]

The Holy Sword’s purpose was to find someone with high divine affinity, devour their body, and summon a god to the earth.

In that process, the consciousness of the Holy Sword would be completely extinguished.

[It wouldn’t be wrong to say I created you to kill you. Honestly, I won’t deny that it weighed on my heart.]

He was a god of smithing.

There was no way he wouldn’t have affection for his creations.

Even more so for a holy relic like the Holy Sword, which required him to pour his soul into its creation.

That effort made him deeply attached to it.

[I simply accepted that it was a sacrifice necessary for a greater cause. But now, I no longer need you.]

[A-are you planning to dispose of me?]

[I said no. Actually, this is a good opportunity to try something I’ve wanted to do.]

The Holy Sword rose into the air.

[Come forth.]

Then Hephaestus’s power manifested.

The force of creation and forging enveloped the Holy Sword.

The broken blade began to be restored.

[Oh, ooh, oooooooh?]

No, it went beyond mere restoration.

The Holy Sword began to change, morphing before Ketal’s widened eyes.

As it transformed, it took on a form.

Five fingers took shape, a slender arm appeared, and silver hair began to ripple.

[A-Ah! Aaah!]

And a voice echoed.

Not just the manifestation of will, but a voice that rose through vocal cords.

The floating Holy Sword landed on the ground.

“…Huh?”

The Holy Sword’s eyes opened wide.

“W-what?”

The Holy Sword wobbled awkwardly.

Once, it could only move when wielded by someone.

Now, she stood, moving her body at her own will, taking steps on her own feet.

She looked to be in her early teens.

A young girl with silver hair and silver eyes.

She gazed at her hand in bewilderment.

‘Come to think of it, this isn’t all that unusual.’

Ketal, who had been marveling, muttered.

An ego sword that gained its own body—it wasn’t an uncommon trope in its own right.

“H-Hephaestus?”

[I give you a body. Not as a tool for gods or demons, but so you can walk freely with your own will. This is my final gift to you.]

Having said this, Hephaestus looked at Ketal.

[I apologize. In a way, I forcibly changed something that was yours.]

“No, it was quite a show. Thanks for that.”

Ketal smiled brightly, and he meant it.

Watching an ego sword become human—it was one of the things on his bucket list.

Seeing his sincerity, Hephaestus chuckled softly.

[Indeed, you’re unique. But it’s a good kind of uniqueness for us. We look forward to being with you for a long time.]

“Yes. Let’s see each other for a long time, Hephaestus.”

With those words, Hephaestus departed.

The body he had inhabited, Grombir, staggered and collapsed.

“Ugh. So, we’ve finished our talk…”

Grombir stopped mid-sentence.

Because before him stood a girl he had never seen before.

The Holy Sword waved her hand awkwardly.

“Uh, h-hi?”

“…Huh?”

Grombir wore the same bewildered expression as the Holy Sword.

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