Chapter 42: Rebirth (2)

Somewhere in the distance, the roar of a Light Dragon echoed.

The dragon’s mana, much like its master, was brimming with madness and violently rampaged through Richard’s body.

His bones twisted.

Muscles tore and healed over and over again.

From time to time, lightning flashed within his body.

‘Don’t panic.’

It was something he had already anticipated when he boldly consumed the heart.

Moreover, the fruit’s power was neutralizing the madness, making it bearable.

Still, simply enduring wouldn’t solve anything.

If he failed to control the mana, it would truly be a meaningless death.

And what could be more futile than that?

Gritting his teeth, Richard began to channel his faith.

He wrapped the rampaging mana coursing through his body with it.

Then, he slowly circulated that violent, massive energy evenly throughout his body.

Woooosh—

His mana routes became waterways, and the vast mana became the water surging through them.

One round, two rounds, three rounds—

With each cycle, the mana gradually seeped into the Mana Heart.

Who knew how much time passed like that.

“Huuuu…”

Richard exhaled a long breath.

Black smoke mixed with his breath—the last remnant of madness that neither faith nor the fruit’s power could neutralize.

[You have successfully completed [Rebirth].]

[Powerful mana has settled into your heart.]

[Your [Strong Bones] have evolved into [Sacred Bones].]

Richard slowly opened his eyes.

Through his long lashes, a brilliant white light flickered.

***

He looked down at himself.

Overflowing strength—it felt as if he had been born anew.

“Were my arms and legs always this long?”

Rolling up his tight sleeve, he saw smooth skin packed with armor-like muscle.

He tapped it with his finger—it felt like striking solid steel.

“Haha.”

A laugh escaped him.

He never imagined he would undergo Rebirth.

Clenching his fist, he felt a power far stronger than any faith he had wielded before.

Not only that, the holy power now rooted in his Mana Heart had swelled like a great mountain.

At this level, not only could he easily handle aura, but even wielding the Sword Saint’s techniques wouldn’t be difficult.

“Sacred Bones…”

It seemed to mean that his very bones had changed—a constitution he was experiencing for the first time.

Maybe it was because he had always acted as a god in the game, but he could only guess that this was one of the higher stages of bone evolution—like when brittle bones changed into strong bones.

Perhaps even his bones themselves now carried faith.

“…And nine days have passed.”

On the side of his vision, a prayer notification had flashed several times.

Glancing out the window, he saw the 3rd Knight Order busily making camp.

Creak—

He carefully opened the carriage door and stepped out.

“Young master!”

Of course, Aaron’s sharp ears caught him immediately.

So much for surprising them.

“What on earth were you—… Ri–Richard, young master?”

Aaron, who had rushed over to scold him, froze mid-sentence and blinked several times.

Then, as if still unconvinced, he rubbed his eyes hard with both hands.

“…A lantern!”

One of the knights, staring at him in a daze, suddenly shouted.

Then the others began to speak up.

“Oooh! A lantern!”

A lantern?

He wasn’t channeling holy power or faith right now.

Perplexed, he looked around—and realized why.

“Wow… you really are like a human lantern.”

A gentle light was flowing from his body, illuminating the darkness.

The way the knights looked at him was the same as when he radiated a halo.

Was this the effect of Sacred Bones?

“…Where is the Dragon Heart?”

Aaron suddenly emerged from the carriage, holding the empty box where it had been stored.

His handsome face was filled with suspicion—one that turned out to be correct.

Richard smirked.

“Thanks to it, I ended up going through Rebirth.”

Indeed, he had grown noticeably taller—now eye level with the tall Aaron.

“Your skin also seems much better…”

“Even recklessness should have limits! How could you possibly think of eating a dragon’s heart raw!”

As expected, Aaron burst into scolding.

Dodging him, Richard slipped away to where the knights were gathered around the campfire.

“You really went through Rebirth?”

“Yeah.”

The knights gasped and examined him from head to toe before exclaiming in amazement.

“To think you fully digested the Dragon Heart!”

“You’ve shed your old self entirely. You now look like a true adult.”

“Even your presence is completely different!”

Their warm congratulations made him smile in return.

“…But what if it had gone wrong? What would you have done then?”

“Man, don’t you have a single word of congratulations in you?”

Aaron grumbled again, prompting Richard to snatch a roasted game leg from the fire.

After days without proper meals, he was famished.

Just as he bit into it—

“Phew! Is that carriage enchanted or something? How’d you get so much taller?” asked Huger, wearing a bewildered expression.

“Why are you acting like it’s the most natural thing to be eating here?”

It seemed Huger didn’t know much about Rebirth.

“It’s about changing your bones and shedding your old shell—reconstructing your body to be far stronger and sturdier.”

“Hah! So there was such a skill! As expected of a great human warrior!”

“Anyway, what’s your plan? You still haven’t given me a straight answer.”

Huger had conveniently tagged along on the return trip, but he’d never actually said he would become an ally.

Richard wanted an answer now—though he already knew what it would be.

“After coming all the way here with you, of course I’ll be your comrade! I thought we already understood each other without words, tch!”

“How long have we even known each other to be talking about wordless understanding? Well, I’ll be counting on you.”

“And I, you!”

Clack!

Instead of a toast, they knocked their respective game legs together.

“When we get to my home, you’d better wear a robe. An orc isn’t going to get the warmest welcome.”

He and Polk would need to talk to the family head about him.

“So, where are we now?”

After finishing his meal, Richard listened to the report.

Traveling non-stop along the shortest route, the carriage was already near Batenberg—they were expected to arrive tomorrow.

“Miss Adele and Sir Gide still haven’t woken.”

Richard glanced toward the carriage.

“They’ll wake soon enough.”

He only hoped they would wake up safe and sound.

***

Meanwhile…

Ludwig looked up at the sky.

Crack—

The window frame of his study groaned under his grip.

The situation was worse than expected.

There was the standoff with Lich, who opposed the 1st Knight Order and the Baren Kingdom’s armed forces… and then there was that monster that pierced through the sky.

Darkness pulsed somewhere beyond his awareness, and the thought of it unsettled him greatly.

His gaze dropped to the gardens of House Barten.

Servants bustled about, but their faces were grim.

‘That energy is eating away at their minds.’

Since the strange events, the servants had suffered terrible nightmares—screams rang out nightly, and some even foamed at the mouth.

The knights were in better condition, but they, too, were far from normal.

And there was nothing more pitiful than a warrior gripped by fear.

Ludwig frowned as he looked down at the heavy atmosphere below.

Knock knock—

A knight entered.

“Young master Richard is returning with the 3rd Knight Order!”

“So he’s alive after all.”

Richard had been roaming the continent during all this chaos—deliberately seeking out dangerous places like the Demon Territory and dragon hunts.

Ludwig had half-expected him to die somewhere out there, yet here he was, returning alive.

He left his office—not to greet his son personally, but because it was tradition for the head of Batenberg to welcome knights home after great battles.

Still, he didn’t realize how urgent his own steps had become.

“The report says the 3rd Knight Order succeeded in slaying the dragon.”

“…I see.”

His expression eased slightly.

The unexpected disaster on the very day of the hunt had weighed on him, fearing that confusion mid-battle could have been fatal.

‘And Gide… would have perished.’

No matter what Richard did, there was no avoiding the risks of such an ordeal.

Thinking of the loyal knight Gide Meyer, Ludwig’s lips twisted bitterly.

When he reached the main gate, rows of knights stood at attention.

Though disciplined, they seemed somehow drained.

Ludwig’s gaze swept over them before he spoke.

“You welcome comrades returning from victory with such faces?”

His low yet forceful tone shook the gate.

When had Batenberg’s spirit grown so weak?

Knights who could not shake off their fears were truly pathetic.

“…We will correct ourselves!”

His steely presence made them straighten up at once, forcing their backs straight and expressions firm.

Before long, dust rose in the distance—the 3rd Knight Order.

Backlit by the sun, they approached with dignified composure.

They were like triumphant generals returning from war, every knight’s eyes sharp and alive—utterly unlike the listless ones at the gate.

If anything, their skills seemed to have matured even further.

“The 3rd Knight Order, returning from mission.”

“Well done. You have my praise for your service.”

As the knight commander exchanged brief words with the family head, the carriage door creaked open.

“…Oh.”

At that moment, the knights at the gate doubted their eyes.

The boyish young master had returned a grown man.

The natural authority radiating from him was unmistakable, a gentle glow shimmering faintly around his form.

Richard, bearing the gaze of all present, walked forward.

And with every step, the oppressive fear weighing on the knights seemed to lift—like finding a small light in pitch darkness.

“I greet the family head.”

Standing before Ludwig, Richard bowed calmly.

And Ludwig’s eyes, as they looked upon him, were filled with astonishment.