The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 73

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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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Chapter 73. In Search of the Demon Sword (5)
The Cavern, now free of crimson mist.
Standing in the center of the Cavern, where silence had settled so deeply it felt almost melancholic, I continued my deliberation before letting out a soft click of my tongue.
“Well… I can check how much stronger I’ve become later.”
For now, it was time to examine the performance of the spoils I’d obtained (though to be honest, it came far easier than I’d anticipated).
“Let’s see.”
I lifted the Demon Sword, gleaming with an eerie crimson hue.
The Demon Sword no longer radiated the immense aura it had released the moment it broke free from its seal.
‘It must be running low on blood.’
I drew the blade lightly across my palm.
The flowing blood traced down the blade and seeped into the Demon Sword.
Kurrrrrgh!
The Demon Sword churned and bubbled violently.
The aura flowing from the blood-soaked blade intensified noticeably.
“That’s it.”
Beskal’s consciousness, which had been sealed within the Demon Sword, had vanished completely, but the power dwelling within it remained intact.
“Haa.”
As I gripped the Demon Sword with my bleeding hand, a tingling force spread throughout my entire body.
The efficacy of the Demon Sword Beskal.
At the cost of the user’s ‘blood’, it granted tremendous power, and that vitality now coursed through me.
‘It feels similar to when I received Iris’s blessing.’
I could feel my basic strength increase, along with my stamina and reflexes.
‘Of course, maintaining this state continuously drains blood.’
There was a reason it was called a Demon Sword.
If one became intoxicated by the power the Demon Sword provided and swung it mindlessly, all the blood in one’s body would dry up in the blink of an eye, leading to death.
‘Of course.’
That was of no concern to me.
“With this level of enhancement, I don’t need to worry about not being able to use the Stigma Amplifier anymore.”
While the Demon Sword’s buff didn’t increase the quantity of mana itself, since my body was strengthened, I could conserve mana accordingly—effectively gaining free additional mana.
In other words.
It was an artifact that didn’t increase mana, but rather allowed me to use less of it.
‘But that’s not the only effect it has.’
I held the Demon Sword horizontally and raised my arm high.
I brought my hand down mercilessly, striking the horizontally-held blade with my palm edge.
Berald’s martial technique.
Blade Break.
Craaack!
Striking the Demon Sword with full force without channeling any mana, the blade snapped cleanly in two, scattering crimson fragments across the ground.
“Its durability is still just mediocre.”
Compared to the standard-issue iron swords provided to Candidates, its durability was hardly impressive.
The Demon Sword lacked the durability befitting such a fearsome name.
A deep, rumbling sound echoed through me.
As my entire body’s blood drained away, the Demon Sword—shattered into two halves—regenerated flawlessly before my eyes.
“That’s right.”
Another advantage of the Demon Sword Beskal.
No matter how badly it was destroyed or shattered, it could regenerate infinitely as long as blood was supplied to it.
‘In a way, we’re similar creatures.’
Feeling an odd kinship (?) with the blade as it instantly restored itself, I stifled an amused smile.
“At least now I won’t have to worry about my sword shattering during combat.”
For a hero, weapon durability was far more important than one might think.
In battles between superhumans where mountains crumbled and earth split asunder, it was common for weapons to shatter under the impact.
‘My sword broke during that fight with the crocodile beast too.’
If I hadn’t been training in unarmed combat, losing my weapon would have cut my combat effectiveness nearly in half.
“It’s about time for the shift change anyway. Should we head back?”
I gripped the Demon Sword in reverse and drove my palm against it.
The blade didn’t pierce through my hand; instead, it dissolved into my blood and was absorbed into my body.
“This really is convenient.”
Being able to store the blade within my own blood without carrying it separately was another subtle advantage of the Demon Sword.
…
Before leaving the Cavern.
I gazed at the devastated secret chamber, its interior ravaged by the aftermath of battle, and memories from my past life surfaced.
Specifically, memories of my old comrades from my mercenary days who had died in this place.
-Damn it! This is my responsibility! Everyone, run!
The Unit Commander—crude-tempered but willing to stake his life for every single member.
-Hey! You rabbit! Stop dawdling and move faster, damn it!
The Vice Commander who had given me the embarrassing nickname “Rabbit Han.”
-I… I don’t want to die… Please… Cough!
The action captain and the sole woman of our Mercenary Company, who had stolen the hearts of countless members.
Recalling them—their names now faded from memory—I offered a silent prayer.
Even if it was from my past life.
Even if it was a faded memory only I possessed.
“Thank you.”
Because you existed.
I am here.
* * *
Day two of exploring the Ruins.
Following yesterday’s pattern, the party members hunted beasts throughout the Ruins (deliberately avoiding the area where the secret passage had been), and despite two consecutive days of forced marches with camping included, they showed no signs of fatigue—if anything, they were more energized than before.
‘They must have felt it too.’
That exhilaration of growing synchronization with each battle experience.
The way their breathing aligned more perfectly each time they fought together.
Exchanging glances with my party members, each minute movement interlocking like gears—that exhilarating sensation when everything aligned perfectly.
This pleasure of moving as a ‘Party’ was something only those who had experienced it could truly understand.
“All right, let’s call it a day here.”
“Huh? Already? I was just getting warmed up!”
Berald clenched his fist, showing he still had more to give.
“I could go longer too.”
“Same here. This is my first time forming a Party and synchronizing like this… it’s more fun than I expected.”
“Hmm. Well, it wasn’t a bad experience.”
Following Berald, Yuren, Iris, and Camilla all showed their eagerness to continue.
I stifled a laugh and shook my head.
“This is enough. You’re all already moving in perfect sync.”
Perhaps it was because their individual skills were so exceptional.
In just two days since we began exploring the Ruins, they had grown incomparably from where they started.
‘Teaching really does have its charm.’
Watching them grasp ten principles from one lesson, and a hundred from ten, I found myself thinking, ‘Ah, so this is what it feels like to teach someone.’ It was a joy I’d never experienced before.
I wanted to push forward and continue this exhilarating experience.
“Right now, your mind is too stimulated to feel fatigue, but once you rest, exhaustion will hit you all at once.”
There was something Berald had told me back when he was building up my body.
He’d said that exercise was just as much about proper rest as it was about hard work.
And he’d added one more thing.
He’d said that since I recovered quickly even when pushed hard, I probably didn’t need to rest much anyway.
‘Thinking about it now, that bastard really gets under my skin.’
No matter what, how could he have the audacity to make me do five hundred pull-ups, a thousand push-ups, and a thousand squats in a single day?
‘Sigh. Just let it go, let it go.’
Pushing aside those nightmarish memories, I continued speaking.
“Let’s end the Ruins exploration here and head back.”
“I see. If you insist, sir… understood.”
“But didn’t you submit the overnight pass request by today? Are we heading back to the Academy now?”
“No, we’ll go back to the Academy tomorrow.”
I lifted the heavy pouch and grinned widely.
“Today, let’s stop by a decent Inn on the way back and have a proper drink.”
Inside the pouch, swollen like ripe fruit, were the magic stones I’d collected over the past two days hunting magical beasts.
Of course, most were low-grade stones that could be mass-produced, so I wouldn’t get a high price for them, but there was enough profit to raise a toast celebrating our successful Ruins exploration.
“Kahahaha! That’s you, sir! Your sense is truly exceptional!”
“Hmm… true. After forming a Party, it would be strange to rush straight back to the Academy once the exploration ends.”
“Dale! For a side dish, I’d love to eat the ramen you made!”
Yuren, Berald, and Iris nodded eagerly at my suggestion to have a drink on the way back.
“Ha! Where did you get such a scatterbrained idea!”
In the cheerful atmosphere.
Camilla, the Sword of Holy Nation candidate, poured cold water on our excitement.
She planted her hands firmly on her hips, her expression blazing with conviction as she declared.
“Listen well! Disciplining the mind means disciplining the body! Celebrating immediately after a successful expedition only weakens the spirit….”
“Ice-cold beer in a frost-rimmed glass.”
“….”
“Freshly fried chicken and perfectly golden sausages.”
“Ugh, urgh!”
“Dried squid with peanuts….”
“You there! Can’t you keep that mouth shut!”
Camilla Bediche whirled around with a sharp cry.
She averted her gaze and let out a small cough.
“W-well, I suppose I can’t help it. As the Holy Maiden’s escort, I can’t very well sit this out alone. I’ll join you.”
“Wipe the drool from your lips before you speak.”
“Tch!”
In any case.
After securing Camilla Bediche’s agreement as well, we all left the Red Tears Cave and made our way back to Valhalla City.
We secured a room at an inn in the city center (Yuren took a private room again) and gathered at the tavern attached to the first floor to raise our glasses.
“Here’s to us!”
“Ahhh! There’s nothing like beer after a good fight!”
“Sigh. I was hoping for some ramen that Dale would make.”
“I can’t exactly make ramen at a tavern, can I?”
“But still!”
“Ugh…! I, I will never succumb to temptation…!”
“There she goes again. Iris, try putting some chicken in Camilla Bediche’s mouth.”
“Hehe. Leave it to me, Dale.”
Iris shoved a chicken leg deep into Camilla Bediche’s mouth.
“Mmph…! S-something that big won’t fit… Ah!”
“No.”
“Mmm… so tender and savory… Oh. Such an exquisite taste….”
“Um, excuse me? You are eating chicken, right?”
“Ugh… I clearly said I d-didn’t want it… Ah. More, more… I… I can’t hold back.”
“You shameless woman.”
Who makes those kinds of sounds while eating chicken?
* * *
After the lively drinking session ended.
We rose from our seats to return to our respective rooms.
That was when.
Berald snapped his fingers as if struck by a brilliant idea.
“Oh, big brother! Now that I think about it, there’s supposedly a bathhouse right next to this inn that operates twenty-four hours!”
“Oh, really?”
We’d taken a quick shower right after unpacking our things at the inn.
It couldn’t compare to the warmth of sinking into a heated bathhouse.
“So, how about we go wash up before bed?”
“Hehe. Excellent! Of course, Yuren is coming with us too.”
“Obviously.”
Both Berald and I turned our gazes toward Yuren.
“W-wait? I… I’m not really comfortable with bathhouses…”
Yuren shook his head frantically, his expression flustered.
“You’re backing out of this too?”
He insisted on individual tents, booked separate rooms at the inn.
And now he was skipping the bathhouse as well?
‘No matter how much of a noble young master he is, there has to be a limit!’
If I didn’t set him straight now, Yuren would spend his entire life as an oblivious aristocrat!
“Listen, once you actually get in that hot water, your whole perspective changes!”
“I-I’m sorry! But the bathhouse is really…”
“Hold on! Yuren! Haven’t you heard that a man’s true friendship blooms in the bathhouse?”
“That’s the first I’m hearing of it.”
Who in the world came up with that?
“I just made it up.”
“…”
“Anyway!”
Whoosh!
Berald grabbed Yuren’s arm and dragged him toward the bathhouse.
“A man can’t skip this! It’s unforgivable!”
“Absolutely right!!!”
“W-wait! Nooo!”
I seized Yuren’s other arm and pulled alongside Berald.
“How are you both so strong…! No! Stop! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
And so Yuren was dragged into the bathhouse by both of us.

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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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