Chapter 42: Extremity Being
During the battle against two Disaster-grade monsters, the neighboring nations felt immense aeon fluctuations rippling beyond the forest. Several individuals sensitive to aeon noticed it immediately, yet none dared to venture into the depths.
Beyond their fear of the looming danger within the great forest, they held firm to an unspoken belief—what happened inside the forest stayed in the forest. Only if the threat extended beyond its lush borders would they take action.
Unbeknownst to them, that threat had already been dealt with. A lone settlement, with the combined efforts of several races, had repelled the monster wave. Thanks to their valiant struggle, the continent was spared from the wrath of the two Disaster-grade monsters—whose power was second only to the dreaded Calamity-grades.
The day after the fierce battle ended, the settlement came alive with activity. Everyone worked together to clean up the battlefield and restore what had been damaged. Humans rebuilt their homes, aided by orcs, ogres, and goblins alike. Side by side, they repaired the once-ravaged settlement, bringing it back to its former beauty.
All were present, save for Reika and Shiori, who had fallen into a deep slumber after exhausting their full strength against Gargantua.
Four days had passed since the great battle ended. Reika remained unconscious, resting on her bed, while Veylir lay beside her, exhausted. After half a day of relentless interactions with others, she had finally taken a break.
Staring at Reika, Veylir let out a deep sigh.
"Hah... When will this girl wake up?"
Just then, she noticed a faint twitch in Reika’s eyelids.
Could it be...?
"Mghhh..."
Reika took a moment before slowly opening her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out the familiar figure hovering over her.
"V-Veylir...?"
"You're finally awake."
Reika tried to push herself up, but as she sat, she instinctively pressed a hand to her head. A dull ache throbbed in her temples.
"What happened while I was unconscious?"
"You've been out for four days since the battle ended. While you were asleep, the battlefield was cleared, and the reconstruction was handled."
"I see... So everyone’s been busy in my absence."
Suddenly, Reika jolted upright.
"Oh, what about them?"
"Eh, they're still here. Alguis told them to stay for the time being. Thanks to that, the reconstruction went faster than expected with their help..."
"That's good then..." Reika replied. "Though, I'm surprised Shiori even agreed to Sir Alguis' request..."
"Nah, that ogre had no idea at all."
Reika frowned. "...What do you mean?"
"Oh, right. I forgot—you collapsed first, so you wouldn't know. How silly of me..." Veylir murmured.
"Collapsed? What happened to her?"
Veylir recounted what had transpired after their battle with Gargantua—how both of them had drained their aeon reserves completely, leaving them unconscious for days.
"...Shiori just woke up a few hours ago. Right now, she's probably complaining to her kin, urging them to leave or something," Veylir added, shaking her head.
"That wouldn’t be surprising, considering how much she despises human interaction..." Reika murmured.
Just then, a thought struck her—one that had been lingering in her mind even while she was unconscious.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot to ask you about it! It nearly slipped my mind..."
"Hm?" Veylir tilted her head, confused.
"Right after I lost consciousness, I found something inside my subconscious space. It wasn’t just a projection—it felt real," Reika explained. "Out of curiosity, I used Appraisal to check what it was, and the result showed that it was called a Seed of Extremity—"
Veylir’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait. Seed of Extremity, you say?"
"Uh, yeah? I’m asking because it might be related to those so-called Extremity Beings you men—"
"Shush! Lower your voice!"
Reika immediately stopped as Veylir silenced her. The dragon flew closer, her expression tense.
"Can you describe what it looked like?"
"O-Okay," Reika replied, slightly bewildered. "Well, it looked like a massive egg—a translucent mass of light, but solid enough to the touch. And like I said, Appraisal identified it as a Seed of Extremity..."
"Then it’s the real deal...!" Veylir gasped.
"W-What even is it? Does it have anything to do with those... Extremity individuals?"
"Erm... yeah, it does. In fact, it’s extremely important to them!"
Reika scratched her head, growing more confused. "...Continue."
"When someone slays an opponent whose threat could disturb the world's order, they are bestowed with a Seed of Extremity," Veylir explained. "Those who possess this seed become candidates for the next evolutionary phase of an entity. Once the conditions are met, the seed will bloom within them, transforming their physiology—from their race down to their very soul. Every Extremity Being on this continent has undergone this process."
Reika’s brow furrowed slightly. "That doesn’t make sense. You defeated Gargantua in the past, yet you’re still not an Extremity Being... Perhaps—"
"If I had possessed such an artifact, I would’ve evolved into one ages ago," Veylir interrupted. "Remember, I only defeated Gargantua—I didn’t kill it."
"Hm..." Reika murmured, lost in thought.
Veylir watched her closely.
Back then, when I fought Gargantua, I injured it so badly that it managed to escape by shrinking itself and blending into the environment, Veylir thought. Had I found it before it returned to the lake and killed that overgrown crab, I might have obtained the Seed of Extremity...
"...Even if I had slain that monster with my own hands, obtaining the seed might have been impossible."
Reika watched Veylir closely, noticing the shift in her mood.
"Those who are favored by fate are destined for greatness," Veylir said. "The Extremity Beings reign supreme over the rest. Since time immemorial, their influence could alter the order of this continent."
She let out a quiet murmur. "Perhaps that chance was never mine to attain. My fate might lie elsewhere... far from what I once envisioned."
Reika scratched her cheek.
Is she upset that I obtained the seed instead of her?
"W-Well, being an Extremity Being sounds like a hassle anyway. Should I just give it to you instead? You seem to really want it..."
Veylir turned away. "Are you pitying me?"
"N-No!" Reika waved her hands frantically. "I just—"
"Psh, there's no need. It wouldn't be possible anyway," Veylir muttered. "Once the seed is granted, it tethers itself to your soul immediately. You're its owner now—you can't simply give it away just because you don’t want it."
Reika's gaze wavered. Now that the Seed of Extremity was bound to her, she had no choice but to accept its existence.
"What should I do, then?" Reika asked. "I don't want to attract the attention of those people..."
Veylir sighed.
"Whether you accept your fate as an Extremity or not, the choice is yours. You can simply ignore the seed’s existence and continue living as you please."
"That... actually sounds like a good idea," Reika murmured. "Even though I desire strength, I shouldn't bite off more than I can chew, you know? Right now, I'm content with what I have. I can already defeat monsters like Gargantua—that level of power is enough to protect the ones I cherish most."
Veylir turned away, gazing out the window. Sunlight filtered into the room, casting a soft glow.
"...If that's your decision, then so be it."
While in the middle of their conversation, both suddenly sensed a presence in the room. A green aura materialized out of thin air, revealing the eldest of the dryad sisters.
Startled by her sudden arrival, they instinctively tensed. The dryad, unfazed, bowed politely before them.
"That surprised me...!" Veylir muttered.
"Master Veylir, your presence is required by Sir Alguis," the dryad said.
"What happened?" Reika asked.
"The former dwarven king seeks Master Veylir to mediate a dispute between the ogre tribe’s leader, Shiori, and Miss Reika’s companion, Soru."
Both of them stiffened at the unexpected news.
"...What?!"
...
Three hours had passed since sunrise. During that time, Shiori had finally awakened from her four-day slumber. With Reika still resting, she stepped outside to see what was happening.
She approached her fellow ogres, asking about the events that had unfolded while she was unconscious. Upon learning that both the Tyrant of the Lake and the Lord of Variance had been defeated, a deep sense of relief washed over her.
With the threat gone, she immediately urged her kin to leave the settlement. However, Alguis and Geruldo confronted her, insisting that they remain for a while longer.
At first, Shiori refused outright. But after more than an hour of relentless persuasion from Sukuna and the others, she finally gave in and agreed to their plea.
At the moment, Shiori sat among monsters and humans, eating in silence. With her greatsword strapped to her back, she couldn’t ignore the stares directed at her. The weight of their gazes pressed against her patience, and with a slight frown, she hastened to finish her meal.
Once done, she stood and set her bowl on the table. A human sitting across from her gave her a polite smile, but Shiori simply ignored her.
Urk... What's with that smile? she thought as she walked away.
In the distance, she spotted Sukuna and Shiki engaged in conversation. Deciding to approach, she strode toward them, her focus fixed entirely on her fellow ogres.
She didn’t notice the person walking in the opposite direction. Neither spoke, passing each other in silence—until suddenly, Shiori froze.
Her pupils shrank, trembling as a familiar yet unwelcome sensation washed over her. A wave of resentment, thick and suffocating, burned through her nostrils, igniting the embers of her fury.
This scent...!
Without hesitation, she grabbed her sheathed greatsword, darting in front of the person. With brute force, she buried the weapon's tip into the ground, blocking his path.
Shiori’s face was painted with anger as she confronted the man before her. Now that she was closer, the scent was even thicker, fueling her rage further.
"You dare kill one of my kind?! You humans have gone too far!" she shouted.
Everyone quickly noticed the commotion and turned toward them, shocked by what they saw.
"Hey, isn't that...?"
They couldn't believe their eyes. The man Shiori had just confronted—was none other than Soru.
Soru remained oblivious to her outburst, unable to understand a single word she had just spoken. All he knew was that the ogre before him was furious.
Shiori watched him carefully. He didn’t flinch, didn’t react in the slightest—his expression remained unchanged. To her, it was as if he didn’t even acknowledge her anger, as if her presence meant nothing at all.
THIS FUCKING HUMAN...!
With her sheathed greatsword in front of her, she gripped the hilt tightly. Driven by fury, she prepared to strike, aiming to sever Soru’s neck.
"I will kill you!"
Upon hearing the sound of her sword leaving its scabbard, Shiori's vision suddenly shifted. The ground was far too close—then came a heavy thud.
Huh...?
Her eyes darted upward slowly. Soru still stood before her, staring blankly. But beside him—
A headless body stood motionless, its hand still wrapped tightly around the hilt of the greatsword.
Shiori’s pupils trembled in fear. She tried to speak, but no sound came out.
My head… Why am I—
Suddenly, Shiori felt something—an overwhelming sensation that sent her crashing to her knees. Her breath turned erratic, a mix of confusion and fear gripping her chest.
Yet, when her trembling fingers touched her neck, her skin was intact.
"W-What was that?" she muttered, her voice unsteady. "I swear my head was severed just now...!"
Shiori reluctantly tightened her grip around the greatsword’s hilt, her breath unsteady. The vision she had just witnessed was far too vivid to dismiss. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she slowly unsheathed her sword once again, eyes locked onto Soru.
This time, she aimed for his leg. The result? Her own legs were severed, and before she could even process it, she was on the ground, blood pooling beneath her. Yet the moment she glanced again, her limbs were still intact—as if nothing had happened.
Gritting her teeth, she swung for his abdomen.
Still, the outcome was the same.
W-What is this...?!
Refusing to back down, she tried every possible opening she could think of—his head, his torso, even his feet. Yet, each time her blade made contact to Soru, she dies.
This is absurd...!
Deep down, Shiori slowly realized that these deaths weren’t real. It was all in her head—her survival instincts rapidly projecting every possible outcome in a brief moment. But no matter how she approached him, every path led to the same inevitable conclusion.
T-There's no way I couldn't beat him!
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