I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 77

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[077] My Friend Leviathan
A youthful voice, tinged with an almost endearing sweetness, echoed through my mind.
Until I witnessed the tears glistening in Leviathan’s eyes, I had convinced myself I was experiencing auditory hallucinations.
Yet when I saw the [Rhetoric] skill activate in brilliant yellow, I couldn’t help but be profoundly shaken.
「The Rhetoric skill has activated, slightly increasing the probability of achieving desired results when conversing with Belheim residents!」
「The user of the Rune of Antagon, Father of Monsters, possesses a special intimacy bonus with serpentine creatures.」
‘Why does this feel like déjà vu…’
So my earlier remark to Radi—that Leviathan was not a dragon but a colossal serpent—had been foreshadowing all along.
Though I would surely appear mad, I spoke to him with hesitant uncertainty.
─Could it be… that you can hear me?
‘I’ve lost my mind. It must be a misunderstanding after all…’
─Waaah!! I was sitting here peacefully, so why are you suddenly attacking me?!
─I’m, I’m sorry? I naturally assumed you wouldn’t understand me…
─Did I come too quickly?! I was simply delighted to see you after so long…!
─No, that’s not it… wait, do you know me?
In another lifetime, such a question would have been absurd, but now I understood the truth—this was not my first reincarnation into this world.
Leviathan cried out, his words stumbling as though struck by revelation.
─W-what are you saying?! You haven’t forgotten me, have you, Doran?!
─No, that’s just… damn it. This is maddening.
I pressed my palm against my skull, lamenting where exactly things had gone awry, when a notification suddenly chimed.
Ding─!
「The residents of Liberta watching from the rooftops are puzzled by the sudden silence of combat!」
「Several citizens are observing you through binoculars!」
‘Oh no…!’
If this conversation dragged on, suspicion would inevitably arise.
─Listen, if we just stand here like this, I’ll be in trouble. For now, let’s pretend to fight.
─Ah, understood! Will this work?
Boom─!
As Leviathan’s tail crashed against the water’s surface, a towering column of spray erupted skyward.
「The residents witnessing the massive spray clench their fists and roar with enthusiasm!!」
「All stats temporarily increase by 20!」
─Well done. While you’re at it, throw in some screams of agony.
─K-kyaaah! The serpent dies! Save the serpent∼!
「The residents hearing Leviathan’s anguished roar erupt in wild cheers!」
「They have absolute faith that you will defeat Leviathan!」
I swung my spear in rhythm with Leviathan’s movements, then asked carefully.
─I have mountains of questions, but… how do you know me?
─How? Haven’t I seen you countless times over the years?!
─When was the last time you saw me?
─T-that I’m not entirely sure about! My memories are hazy in places…! My head aches! It wouldn’t hurt if you weren’t hitting me!
Leviathan rubbed its massive tail across its brow.
A demon beast that defies the world’s natural progression. It could simply be that I retain memories from before my regression, but regardless.
‘Could this phenomenon be occurring because the loop is incomplete?’
Based on my speculation, this world likely has someone artificially rewinding time.
My mansion hidden in the Dimensional Gap is evidence of this, and a powerful demon beast like Leviathan might be less affected by the loop’s influence.
After all, forcing such a colossal monster to regress would require an enormous amount of energy.
If this serpent recognizes me like it does, then contradictions might have accumulated throughout Belheim.
‘Then I should consider this world no longer the Belheim I once knew.’
Malton, who should be suffering under a curse, is alive and well, and simply by preventing the catastrophe in the Medaolinum Dungeon, the worldline has already twisted significantly.
Other regressors besides me must have created changes both large and small, so blindly trusting my knowledge from the game era might prove dangerous going forward.
I exhaled a sigh and opened my mouth.
─Your presence here complicates things. Why did you appear here while awakening other Deep Sea monsters?
─Krraaagh! The Gods sealed me! I’m furious! I’ll destroy the temples!
─Why did the Gods seal you?
‘Perhaps because the Gods grow troubled when their believers dwindle too much…?’
But Leviathan’s response was entirely unexpected.
─Huh? Why was I sealed? Last time, didn’t I get thoroughly beaten while fighting the Gods alongside you?
─That’s… wait! You’re saying I fought alongside you against the Gods in the past? Are you certain about that?!
─Yes…? Of course….
─Then do you perhaps remember which God we were hostile toward back then?
I asked while suppressing my anxiety as much as possible.
Hadn’t the note I found in the Mansion Astronomy Tower contained a warning not to trust the Gods of this world?
Perhaps this could be decisive testimony revealing what I fought against in the past….
─Uuugh… I’m not sure… I’m actually not very intelligent….
─….
‘…I’m the fool for trusting a serpent’s intellect.’
As I stared at it with a pitiful expression, Leviathan flinched and hastily added more.
─B-but I do remember that! There were multiple of them! And there were both evil and good Gods!
─I see… that was helpful.
‘At least this confirms that my past self was hostile toward several Gods.’
The warning from the note—’do not trust the Gods’—must have been in this context.
But since countless Evil Gods exist in Belheim, this information alone is insufficient.
After all, even my disguise skill and undead enhancement ability are treated as powers of Evil Gods.
─…Wait. But the journal mentioned that I suffered critical wounds in my final battle against you, and that an ally was sacrificed. Are you really certain you were on my side?
─Hmm… it seems there were times in the very distant past when you and I fought each other.
─You’re saying things changed as time went on?
─Yes. You appeared before me repeatedly, crushed and battered yet relentless, and eventually I was moved by your persistence and accepted your deal! After that, you asked me to fight the Gods, and sometimes you even commanded me to slaughter humans.
‘You seemed terribly anguished back then….’ Leviathan added.
Upon hearing its response, I could only fall silent for a moment.
‘The me described in the journal had repeated regressions for a single purpose….’
I had exhausted every conceivable means in my desperate search for answers.
In the end, by transforming this incomprehensibly monstrous being into an ally, I was now conversing with it—so the effort was not in vain.
‘To think I actually tamed such an impossible existence… What kind of monster was I during my regression?’
I still didn’t know how to utilize this seed that my past self had planted through countless deaths, but I would find a way.
As I sank into deep contemplation, Leviathan cried out in an excited voice.
─So are we going to war with the Gods again this time? Or shall we destroy the cities of humans? Just say the word! I’m ready whenever!
Hearing those words, I snapped back to reality.
Fight the Gods with my current abilities? Impossible.
At least,
not
yet.
─For now… the time is not right. For a while, we should hide in the Deep Sea and wait for our opportunity.
─Then how long? A century? Two centuries?
─It shouldn’t take that long. But I promise you this—one day, I will grant you the freedom to swim freely in this sea.
─I see… No matter how many times you die, you remain the same person. Then I too shall make a vow.
Leviathan’s demeanor suddenly shifted.
No longer the carefree monster I had been conversing with moments before, but an ancient being who had lived through eons.
As Leviathan’s jaws opened, the sea resonated and trembled from the depths of the Abyss itself.
I, the Lord of the Abyss Leviathan, solemnly declare here and now.
By all the time we spent together, all our memories, and the blood we shed as one.
Doran, whatever choice you make.
On the day this world meets its end, I shall become your blade once more and destroy all that stands in your path.
Ding─!
｢You have successfully prevented the second great catastrophe from befalling Belheim!!｣
｢The marine monsters that attacked Liberta are retreating! You have achieved the Main Quest, ‘Savior of Liberta’!!｣
｢This is a wondrous Achievement that rewrites history!! All stats for you and your entire party are permanently increased by 10, and you can now freely access sea content through your Ship!｣
｢You have gained vast experience and reached Level 50!｣
The log messages did not end there.
｢You and all party members have been granted [Leviathan’s Blessing], the blessing of the Lord of the Deep Sea!｣
｢You will not be attacked by marine monsters under Leviathan’s dominion, your abilities are enhanced near water, and you are immune to crushing water pressure!｣
｢The effectiveness of beneficial water-attribute magic increases, and damage taken from enemies’ water-attribute magic is reduced by 50%!｣
｢There exist powerful hidden blessing effects yet to be revealed!｣
Ding─!
｢Countless people witnessed your valor! The citizens of Liberta will hail you as a hero! Rumors of the ‘Winged Skeletal Warrior’ who saved Liberta spread throughout the entire Kingdom!｣
｢The absolute being ‘Father of the Tidal Wave’ has noticed that a mere mortal has used his sacred relic without permission. He takes notice of your existence.｣
｢???: How intriguing. How are you still intact after wielding my weapon?｣
｢The Master of the Volcano, who had been cheering and shouting, flinches and quietly vanishes into the flames.｣
I quietly bid farewell to Leviathan as he disappeared into the Deep Sea, then surveyed the entirety of Liberta.
Beneath a clear sky, sunlight shattered across the harbor as crowds of people gathered, embracing one another and sharing their joy.
Boggles and Snake among the Pirates, along with Malton, waved enthusiastically from the Ship, while among the throng I could see Karen’s fiery red hair and Radi breathing a sigh of relief.
There were many twists and turns along the way, and while I hadn’t initially intended to save lives….
‘This ending isn’t so bad after all.’
I fluttered my wings and took flight, slipping quietly out of sight beyond the cheering crowd.
* * *
A day later, the coastal city of Liberta was bustling with flood recovery efforts.
The streets echoed with the shouts of workers ceaselessly hauling logs and stone to rebuild the collapsed walls.
At the water’s edge, Mermaids and humans worked together to clear the debris, and among them were some of those rather lazy familiar Pirates, which drew laughter.
I leaned languidly against the window of a Restaurant, taking a bite of sausage as I asked.
“Is that really okay? The Pirates are walking around openly without even hiding their skull marks.”
“They received recognition for their contributions in this battle, so they were pardoned for their past crimes and are converting to privateers, or so I heard.”
“Oh, so they won’t have to hide anymore. And seeing the Mermaids blending in so naturally with people is quite heartwarming.”
I chuckled softly, then bowed my head toward Malton, Radi, and Karen, who were seated around the table.
“…You all worked hard. None of this would have been possible without you.”
Though an unexpected ending had awaited us, we couldn’t have reached this point if even one of them had been absent.
And I had dragged them into this dangerous place without proper explanation beforehand.
But my companions simply smiled quietly.
Radi sighed and spoke.
“You’ve already apologized several times, so it’s fine. If Leviathan had simply destroyed Liberta and awakened the sea monsters, we would have eventually faced calamity ourselves anyway.”
“More than that, my body feels lighter somehow… or is it just my imagination?”
“Yeah. I felt oddly closer to water too.”
“Ah, that….”
When I revealed that Leviathan had bestowed a blessing before returning to the Deep Sea, Radi and Karen jumped up in shock.
“We, we received Leviathan’s blessing?! Is that really true?!”
“While divine protection from spirits or gods is one thing… there’s no precedent for receiving a blessing from a Boss Monster like Leviathan….”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. I don’t know all the effects yet, but at least there’s water pressure immunity and water-attribute magic resistance….”
As I explained each effect to them with their sparkling eyes fixed on me, I suddenly noticed Malton had gone quiet.
He opened his mouth with a complicated expression.
“Wait, Doran. If that’s the case, wouldn’t Leviathan’s blessing also show up when we check our level at the Temple?”
“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that.”
When using a crystal sphere, possessed abilities are displayed in detail, so if a monster’s blessing were discovered embedded there, we could be branded as heretics.
“…I’d recommend not updating it for a while.”
“That means we’ll need to find a Religious Order or person who won’t take issue with the appraisal results going forward.”
“Karen, do you know anyone who might fit? Since you’re a noble, you must have a wide network.”
“Hmm… I do have a trustworthy friend at Agatha Temple… Let me send a letter first. Or I could also use my uncle’s connections if needed.”
Karen tapped her chin thoughtfully.
The way we naturally worked together on this—we were unmistakably a party now.
‘I can feel the noble lady gradually being drawn into our world.’
As I smiled contentedly and drank my beer, Malton stood up and spoke.
“Then it would be best to leave this place soon. We wore masks at critical moments, but with so many witnesses, there’s a risk our identities could be pinpointed if we linger.”
“Right, and I should report to Belmont that this matter ended well anyway.”
But before that, there’s one thing I need to settle here and now.
“…Everyone, follow me for a moment.”
As I took the lead with a grave expression, Malton, Radi, and Karen exchanged puzzled glances at me.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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