Chapter 248: Aestrea Against The World (XXV)

“Was this… what I felt a connection with?”

I muttered softly, staring down at the sword cradled in my hand.

It was a long, ink-black sword, faintly curved near the tip, with a surface so polished and dark it looked like I was holding a piece of the night sky itself.

Tiny specks of silver shimmered inside the metal like stars trapped in frozen time.

No wonder they called it… [Midnight].

It felt alive.

Heavy, not in weight, but in presence.

The kind of weapon that whispered into your soul without saying a word.

“…Scan.”

[Name: Midnight

Type: Artifact

Grade: God

Details: A sword forged by Yggdrasil and the stars themselves.]

“…What the actual fuck?”

My eyes widened, my breath catching just slightly as the message finished.

God-grade? Seriously?

A laugh escaped me, low and sharp.

If this thing was truly a god-grade artifact, then…

Maybe I could destroy this world if I ever got bored enough.

But no, not yet.

There were still so many things I wanted to see, so many gods I wanted to split right down the middle.

And this sword?

Yeah… it could definitely help me do that.

“Storage, open.”

I flicked my hand toward the air, summoning my inventory portal. The blue-gold ripple expanded before me, humming faintly.

I moved to throw the sword in, but instead of vanishing into the storage like every other weapon, it stopped.

Just like that.

It didn’t go in.

It just hung there, the tip still piercing the edge of the portal, refusing to budge.

“…Scheiße.”

I narrowed my eyes, tried again, but the sword refused to be taken.

It was like the blade had decided: No. I’m staying right here.

“…Fine.”

I strapped it to my waist instead. The weight against my hip felt strange, like it didn’t belong there… but also like it absolutely did.

I didn’t question it too much.

“Now… what should I do?”

I looked up toward the massive ceiling of golden roots, light pulsing through them like veins.

I’d already secured the Elves.

They wouldn’t be attacking the Human Kingdom anymore. And with their help, they’d probably convince that stubborn Dwarf Emperor, too.

So…

“…Technically, I don’t have anything left to do, right?”

I paused.

And then… a slow smile pulled at my lips.

“…Ah. That’s right.”

How could I forget?

The deal with the Dark Elves.

That little game hadn’t even started yet.

And I did promise I’d play with them, didn’t I?

“Ah, right… I still need to get Hellheim’s source back.”

I muttered to myself, slowly rolling my neck until a faint crack echoed out.

Crick.

My joints ached from mana pressure, not actual strain, but it felt good. Loosened me up a bit.

“Although… I’m pretty damn sure I’ve got no real connection to that devilish place,” I added with a shrug, waving my hand in front of me.

RUMBLE~

A sharp vibration passed through the air.

With a low hum, space split open.

A jagged crack formed right in front of me, shimmering faintly like a broken mirror reflecting a thousand skies.

I stared at it, lips twitching into a dry smile.

“…Well, how I wonder if I’m going to be able to do this…”

I stepped forward without hesitation.

The world warped.

The moment I crossed through the crack, my eyes were overwhelmed by a breathtaking view, a galaxy tunnel, spinning with endless shades of violet and silver, filled with drifting stars and glowing mist that pulsed like veins in the body of the universe itself.

Each step echoed softly, like walking on light.

I didn’t stay long as I already had a place in mind.

And so….

Fwip!

I raised my hand again, slicing through the galactic flow as easily as tearing silk.

Another space crack opened. This one was colder, sharper, almost familiar in how it pulled me.

I stepped through.

Phew~

A blast of icy wind hit my face.

Snow crunched beneath my boots as I took another step forward.

I was back.

Snowpeak Mountain.

The frigid air clung to my skin, but it felt almost… welcoming now.

“Alright. One thing down.”

I glanced around, brushing a few flakes of snow off my cloak.

“Now I just need to get back to the meeting spot I agreed on with those Dark Elves…”

My voice trailed off, my eyes narrowing just a little.

“Although… they’re probably working with the Dark Order.”

Of course they were.

If anyone could pull off a ninth-grade curse and make the fake appearance of a so-called ’true god’ feel real enough to make you kneel, it would be those manipulative bastards from the Order.

The worst kind of snakes.

They didn’t fight.

They schemed.

“I really need to pay a visit to their headquarters sometime,” I muttered, my tone dry and irritated.

“…If only I actually knew where the hell it was.”

I paused.

Then gave a small smirk to the sky.

“I’m sure they’ll come to me eventually.”

They always did.

And so, I walked.

No… I teleported.

Just a single step through folded space, and I was already there.

The meeting place I mentioned to the Dark Elves. The one they’d agreed to without hesitation.

None other than…

The Grand Canyon, the vast rift that split the Elven and Human Kingdoms clean in half. A scar left by some ancient war, or maybe just the world deciding to tear itself apart.

Who knows.

It stretched endlessly beneath my feet, cliffs spiraling down like the jaws of a sleeping beast. Wind whistled between the stone walls, sharp and dry.

But what really caught my eye?

A small, faintly glowing camp was set up near the ledge.

Tents.

Basic mana concealment.

But nothing could hide from me.

『Judgement Eye (✦ S++ Level Skill ✦)』

With just a blink, I activated it—and instantly, my vision flickered.

Everything was dyed in shades of red and black, corrupted mana dancing across the tents like smog.

Yeah… it was them.

The stink of dark magic was unmistakable.

I moved forward casually, letting my boots crunch against the dry stone.

“Come out,” I said flatly as I stepped onto their ground, my voice cutting through the air like a blade.

And just like that…

She appeared.

The same dark elf woman as before.

A smile plastered across her lips like cheap perfume.

“Aestrea!” she beamed, practically skipping toward me.

“You’re finally here!” she grabbed both of my hands, tilting her head like a teasing fox in heat.

“We were waiting~♡”

Mm.

Touchy.

If I didn’t already know they were working with the Dark Order, maybe I’d have bought that smile. Maybe. But now?

I was tempted to gouge her eye out just to see if her grin would crack.

’…Maybe I should start using my Judgment Eye more often,’ I thought, eyes half-lidded as I stared back at her.

’I wonder how they look now… a crescent moon crossed with a scale, maybe? Mhmmn.’

Whatever. Not important.

Time to get to the point.

“Mhm… so?” I raised a brow.

“How exactly am I supposed to help the Dark Elves?”

“Revolution,” she said instantly, nodding with too much excitement.

“If we take down the Elven Emperor, we’ll finally be seen as equals again! No more discrimination… no more hiding.”

Huh.

Cute.

Almost made it sound like a noble cause.

But now that I was really looking at her, I noticed something strange.

Her mana was quite powerful.

SS-rank Awakener.

Those used to be rare.

Now they were crawling out like insects after rain.

Still, if she fought the Emperor head-on, she’d be reduced to ash in seconds.

So how was she planning to survive?

Hellheim?

…Undead?

That thought made something click.

Kagetaro and Cecilia healed way too fast. Bones snapping back, wounds closing like rewinding film.

They weren’t alive in the usual sense.

Not fully, at least.

Could she be the same?

Should I test it?

…Nah. That’d be suspicious.

Wait.

I had another option.

“Scan…”

[Target: Valieth]

[Race: Corrupted Elf / Undead]

[Rank: SS ]

[Talent: N/A]

[Affinities: Wind & Darkness]

[Sexual Preference: MASTER]

[Character Preference: MASTER]

[Favorability: -999999999]

[Sexual Desire: -999999999]

[Thoughts: I hope he dies already, it’s getting annoying acting like a coquettish little bitch. I hope Master rewards me after this.]

…Damn.

Rough.

Real rough.

I tilted my head slightly, watching her still clutch my hand with that same beaming smile, like she hadn’t just wished for my death in her head.

’How has she not tried to stab me yet?’

Probably waiting for some signal.

But that favorability number?

Negative nine… digits.

Damn… That’s gotta be a record.

I kept staring at her.

And sure enough, if sensing the weight behind my silence, she finally spoke up again, her voice bubbling with fake cheer.

“Ah… I know!” she chirped suddenly, clapping her hands together. “First, I’ll bring you to our base! We should celebrate, right? Since you agreed to help us~!”

She said ’excitedly’, with a very sweet tone.

It sounded as sweet as a candy that hides poison underneath the sugar.

And to her words, I only smiled lightly.

“Sure.”

But of course…

That wasn’t a kind smile.

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