Limited Extra Time - Chapter 191

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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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Carina Leopold crouched in silence, her mind turning over the words again and again.

She couldn’t understand why that final word struck so deeply into her chest.

Yes, who would have wished for such circumstances?

Even if he were a god, if he didn’t derive pleasure from others’ suffering, he would never have desired this situation.

[The Sword That Erases Divine Authority exists in a vast underground chamber beneath the nation founded by

The Nomadic Woman.

If you insert your hand into the small crevice in the floor at the center of the chamber and pull,

the sword will emerge.

Pierce a person afflicted with the illness using that sword, and the divine authority will vanish. When the authority disappears, the Art Plague will also fade, and the symptoms will ease.]

She exhaled softly and rubbed her forehead lightly. Yet even so, this situation wouldn’t change

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in any meaningful way. ‘The underground chamber…’ Could it be here? Carina’s brow furrowed. By sheer coincidence, she stood precisely at the center of this chamber. As one improbable coincidence layered upon another, an inexplicable chill ran through her. “Could it be…?” She reached down and felt along the floor. Sure enough, a crevice barely wide enough for her index finger to fit appeared in the marble. Seeing it, she grimaced. “…It’s really here.” When she pulled with all her strength, a marble tile came free with a soft pop. Inside lay an object wrapped in golden cloth. She opened it slightly and glimpsed a short blade inscribed with countless incomprehensible characters. “…They want me to stab someone with this?”

What if this book was wrong? The thought that she might accidentally kill someone drained her courage to act. Carina opened the Bookshelf just in case.

What if this book is strange? The thought that I could accidentally kill someone made me hesitant to move forward. Just in case, Carina Leopold opened the bookshelf.

“By the way! Even if you stab a human with this sword, they won’t be injured. They won’t feel any pain or hurt. If you’re skeptical, you can even prick your own hand slightly to test it. The great God of Art doesn’t make such mistakes.”

Just then, the next page happened to contain something she was curious about. At this point, he couldn’t help but feel a bit absurd and flustered. She turned to the next page with a frown. ‘Now that I think about it, the miracle of creation is…’ As she shifted her gaze to the first line while thinking, she froze.

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The power of creation cannot be erased by the sword. For the God of Art to reclaim that power, he has no choice but to take human life along with it. However, there is a way to avoid death. Draw a formation as shown below and drop a few drops of blood on it, then complete your work. In exchange for the miracle, instead of your life force, he will take your blood that carries your breath. Blood need not be used if you prefer otherwise. Blood is the most efficient offering for a miracle, but if not, hair or parts of your body can be used as payment instead. However, to bring about a great miracle, you must pay a corresponding price. Do not forget that life requires an equal amount of life in return.

Once again, she got the answer she wanted. Carina agonized over it. She couldn’t give up art, but she also couldn’t ignore the illness.

Did I need to concern myself with this? The paintings she created were mostly landscapes. Standing before them, they would seep into a person’s senses—the scent, the texture, the emotions of that moment—or at best, they could only perform the miracle of briefly resurrecting small creatures like beasts or butterflies. ‘If I revive a beast, do I just need the corpse of the same beast?’ Carina Leopold pondered briefly. The book was already nearing its end.

Only a few pages remained. As she turned to the next page, the final passage was written there.

[To create a human requires the complete life of a whole human, and to revive the life of a beast requires either a human corpse or the life of a beast. Any insufficient price will be deducted from the Creators’ life force at any time, so one must always be cautious of this point. Finally, the God of Art cherishes and loves the creator

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most of all.

The God of Art cherished the Nomadic Woman who founded Kathulan most dearly, but upon meeting a child in the future who displayed the qualities of an outstanding painter, he became enamored at first sight with that child’s artwork.

Those who have received the power of creation may take pride in the fact that they are loved by the divine. After all, the God of Art himself directly chose them and bestowed this power upon them.

The power of creation, which seemed to have stagnated through bloodline, shall also change its destiny in the light drawn forth by the blade.]

It was the final page.

Carina Leopold pondered the words for a long while before slowly bringing the short sword to the tip of her finger.

She pressed down with slight force, yet there was truly no pain, not even a single drop of blood. It was certainly a remarkable blade.

‘Is this the right thing to do?’

I had experienced the dream directly.

Perhaps it was not a dream at all, but my own past.

The foolish past of myself, who clung to painting until the very end, unable to let go even in death, and ultimately ended my life.

It must have been the same for them. The only thing worth hanging onto would have been art.

Such was the culture that had taken root in this nation. They must have come to believe that art was everything in life.

‘How can I forcibly end that?’

I could not sever it even of my own will.

Moreover, had not Karsan Erha said so? That they desired this. That they wished to become sacrifices to art themselves.

In truth, no one within these walls harbored any desire to escape.

There were only those who had surrendered everything to their helpless existence and prepared themselves for the final end.

‘Do I truly have the right to pass judgment?’

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Did she possess the authority to determine their fates? Carina Leopold rose abruptly from her seat, sword in hand, then froze mid-motion. ‘If this blade were to steal my art… would I have consented?’ She closed her eyes slowly, then opened them. No. She would not. She knew herself well enough—she was selfish, consumed by desire.

What she yearned for was a life both profoundly selfish and insatiably greedy—one where she could wield miracles while her vitality remained untouched. Her trembling eyes gripped the sword with fierce determination.

***

Millaiyen’s arrival at Kathulan had not taken long. Thanks to Periel Kalos weaving healing through his flute to keep them from exhaustion, the party had traversed nearly sleepless into the bright day of Kathulan’s Empire. Subduing the guards and infiltrating proved no difficult feat. They had been forced to resort to violence because the sentries, wary of outsiders, had attempted to raise an alarm. Cloaked in robes pulled low, they began moving toward the sparsely populated quarters. “…Certainly, it is a breathtakingly beautiful land,” Periel Kalos murmured, his words stolen by the magnificent vista. Yet Millaiyen’s gaze remained fixed ahead.

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In an alley where few souls wandered, Millaiyen ignited the handkerchief Winston had given him and cast it skyward.

“…What is this?”

The light emanating from the handkerchief writhed as though seeking direction, then suddenly lost its way and began spiraling in figure-eights through the empty air.

“Why is it doing this?”

“…I have no idea. I’ve never seen this before either.”

The light, having lost its destination, circled for some time before abruptly

beginning to hover and spiral before the wall of the alley where Millaiyen stood.

“It appears to be malfunctioning.”

Millaiyen clicked his tongue softly.

He had not anticipated such a complication, but it posed no significant obstacle.

Had the handkerchief functioned as intended, it would have spared considerable effort, but for Millaiyen, searching manually presented no difficulty whatsoever.

“It would be best to head toward the Imperial Palace,”

he murmured.

He had just begun to turn when it happened.

A door materialized on the wall where light had lingered, and someone burst through, throwing themselves into his arms.

Millaiyen’s eyes widened at the familiar scent.

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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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