WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ Damned Transmigration ◈

Chapter 93: Reward 3

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“Since I became the head of the family, fewer than ten outsiders, including you, have been brought into this vault.”

Alnair Mabeld descended the underground stairs with his back straight.

“It’s an honor.”

Yuri replied as he glanced at the back of Elleia Yudel’s head as she walked beside Alnair. Unlike Tide of Carnage and Zenith Star, who were strongly suspected of being transmigrators, Elleia, the Death Realm of the Martial Apex Venerable, had been confirmed as one alongside Moonlit Reveller.

‘Who could she be...?’

Yuri had heard about Elleia’s martial prowess from Estor. She was a swordswoman who could freely wield a greatsword as large as her own body. Still, according to the Sword Emperor, her swordsmanship itself was not especially outstanding.

Yet she wielded power beyond what her lacking swordsmanship should have allowed. She was not built so heavily that she could be called hulking, but she had a muscular physique for a woman. It meant she had not neglected her external training. She used that strength, reinforced with inner power and more, to wield a heavy sword.

Yuri had never seen Elleia fight in person, but from what he had heard, she was a typical power-based swordswoman who drove crushing blows into every opening. That sort of swordfighter build was as common as a standard mage build.

Apparently, she had killed one of the Demonic Cult’s Seven Evils a few years ago, then vanished from public view. Why was Elleia, who had done that, staying with the Mabeld Family as a retainer?

While Yuri was thinking about Elleia, they reached the bottom of the long, straight staircase.

Judging by the number of steps, they had descended four or five basement levels. Still, he could not be certain, since they had not passed through any other floors on the way down. The door leading to the stairs had been sealed with magic that only the family head could open, and Yuri had sensed magic all the way down. This place might have been deeper than the fifth basement level, or the stairs might simply have led somewhere entirely different rather than underground.

This vault belonged to the Mabeld Family, which had amassed one of the greatest fortunes among the Pride families. Security like this was only natural. The fact that Alnair had brought Yuri and Haryeong here, despite having met them only yesterday, meant that regardless of Elleia’s ability as Alnair’s guard, Alnair sincerely intended to reward them for saving the city.

“Don’t feel too burdened.”

As if he had read Yuri’s mind, Alnair spoke. A large sealed door stood at the end of the stairs. Removing the glove from one hand, Alnair turned to Yuri and Haryeong.

“It’s true that the things in this vault hold great value, but they are worth less than the Mabeld Family’s honor and all of Alderan. So you’re entitled to take anything from this vault.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but honestly, how can I not feel burdened by this?”

Yuri replied with a bitter smile. Alnair let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.

“Why? Because Heavenly Thunder was the one who ultimately defeated Agwi? You were the ones who made it possible for her to come. Let’s consider the worst-case scenario. Without you, Heavenly Thunder couldn’t have come, Agwi would have completed the Rift, and Alderan would have been destroyed. Do you know what that means? It means the Mabeld Family would have fallen during my time as head.”

Alnair stretched out his bare hand toward the firmly shut door.

“In other words, you saved Alderan and the Mabeld Family. As the head of the family, I must repay you. And frankly, it doesn’t matter to me who defeated Agwi. It’s not as if Heavenly Thunder is someone within my reach. You know this too, don’t you? Heavenly Thunder and the Dersia Mage Tower have an especially close relationship with the Ascard Family.”

“I do.”

“But you are different. If you truly feel burdened, think of this as a transaction.”

A transaction? Yuri blinked as Alnair chuckled and ran a hand over the door.

“Cloud Dragon, Dark Blossom. You are promising young people with bright futures. No matter what you take from this vault, I won’t consider it a loss. If it’s a martial art or magic, a copy can be made. Even if you want something that exists nowhere else in the world, I don’t mind.”

Alnair turned again to Yuri and Haryeong. His eyes gleamed sharply beneath his stern, middle-aged features, as though appraising merchandise.

“I believe people are more valuable than objects. Ah, that doesn’t mean I see everyone that way. Not everyone is equal, after all.”

The Mabeld Family’s history was the history of merchants. Merchant blood flowed through Alnair’s veins.

“What I offer you isn’t a gift born of goodwill. Yet if you feel burdened by it, that makes me happy. Our transaction becomes an investment or patronage. The burden you carry will become a debt of the heart, making you mindful of me and the Mabeld Family from now on. And if you don’t feel burdened? That’s fine too. It simply means our first transaction has concluded cleanly, and perhaps we can make another one someday.”

Rumble...

The door Alnair had touched began to open.

“You’ll receive this sort of favor many times in the future. In a world like this, building ties with promising young people can be useful someday, in one way or another. It’s something you need as well. Having connections is far more convenient than having none.”

The Pride families that had ruled the Western Continent for ages understood the importance of making allies rather than enemies. That was why mage towers stood in cities ruled by Pride families.

The door to the Mabeld vault opened fully. Yuri had imagined that the floor, ceiling, and walls might all be made of gold, but that was not the case. Beyond the door was a long corridor lined with dozens of closed doors. A huge crystal ball stood in the middle of the corridor.

“Follow me.”

Alnair and Elleia entered first. Yuri followed them inside, swallowing hard as he looked around. It was a bleak corridor without a single painting or work of art. The closed doors had no notable features either, but he could sense countless spells.

This was a place that could never be entered without a key, a space that existed solely as a vault. And that key was likely Alnair Mabeld himself, the family head. The dozens of doors probably led to separate spaces holding treasures of astronomical value.

“It would take days to search through everything one by one, so you can use this.”

Alnair stepped back after stroking the crystal ball a few times.

“It’s the most useful gift that bastard Alfreon ever gave me. Put your hand on it, and you’ll naturally understand how to use it.”

Haryeong, who had clearly decided what she wanted, moved first. Her face looked as calm as usual, but the slight stiffness around her mouth made her seem rather tense.

‘Or is she excited?’

Standing before the crystal ball, Haryeong swallowed and reached out. Wooooong. The orb beneath her palm emitted a faint glow. After blinking several times, Haryeong tilted her head and looked around, then quietly closed her eyes.

“...!”

After concentrating for a moment, Haryeong’s face abruptly stiffened. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell half-open in shock before she quickly turned to Alnair.

“Why is this here...?”

“Don’t ask.”

Alnair answered with a smile.

“I don’t know what you found that surprised you. Nor am I particularly curious. But whatever it is, don’t ask why or how.”

Haryeong looked openly flustered, unlike her usual self, but she quickly regained her composure.

“My apologies.”

Realizing she had been rude, Haryeong bowed her head in apology before turning back to the crystal ball.

“You can use it at the same time.”

Alnair chuckled when he saw Yuri standing there awkwardly. Yuri cleared his throat softly and approached the crystal ball. Haryeong had her lips pressed tightly together as she focused, though her brows occasionally twitched, perhaps from surprise.

‘What on earth did she find?’

Curious, Yuri reached out toward the crystal ball.

[The search function has been activated.]

[Please think of what you are looking for.]

Yuri’s shoulders twitched at the voice in his head. It was said to be a gift from Alfreon Ascard, the greatest alchemist of the century, and it seemed the crystal ball itself held something akin to artificial intelligence.

‘Hmm...’

The first thing that came to mind was, naturally, Gebra. There was a chance Agwi’s bracelet was not Gebra.

[No item named Gebra is being stored.]

The crystal ball answered as soon as he thought of it, and Yuri felt a little disappointed. If there had been a Gebra here, he would not have needed to remain attached to Agwi’s bracelet.

[Sixteen items named Elixir are being stored.]

‘Sixteen?’

He had searched out of curiosity, but he no longer wanted an Elixir. Yuri took a moment to organize his thoughts.

First, he needed to determine how good the crystal ball’s search function was. He remembered the names and primary effects of items from the game, but human memory could never be perfect. Besides, this world contained many items and skills that had never existed in the game.

‘Does it work even if I don’t know the name?’

The moment he thought of a vague word, the crystal ball’s voice immediately answered.

[No item named Dersia is being stored.]

He had thought of only one word, yet it searched on its own. Yuri continued thinking of more words.

[For items named Namgung Family, one Emperor’s Sword Art, one Vast Sky Unhindered Sword Art, and one Daeyeon Sword Art are being stored.]

[For items named Habert, one low-grade, one intermediate-grade, and one high-grade item are being stored.]

[For items named Orsia, one low-grade item is being stored.]

[Searching for items matching the specified conditions.]

.

.

.

Each time he thought of something, the crystal ball’s voice continued. It searched well by individual words, and it could even search based solely on the conditions he imagined.

Separate from that, Yuri could not help swallowing hard.

It had answered that spells from mage towers, martial arts from powerful eastern families and major Righteous Heavenly Alliance sects, and even a considerable number of martial arts from the Black Dragon Society’s major sects were being stored here.

[For items named Salmun and Dang Family, one Merciless Killing Flow, one Poison Blood Divine Art, one Celestial Maiden’s Secret Art, and one Vast Righteous Return-to-Origin Art are being stored.]

Now Yuri understood why Haryeong had been so surprised.

The Mabeld vault even contained martial arts of the Dang Family. Merciless Killing Flow was the Dang Family’s representative hidden-weapon art, while the other three were cultivation methods. Even if she had been cast out by the family, Haryeong could not help being startled to find her family’s martial arts stored in such an unexpected place.

‘Could it be...?’

His excitement quickening, Yuri thought of other martial arts.

[One item named Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps is being stored.]

[No item named Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm is being stored.]

These were martial arts Yuri had wanted to acquire since he first transmigrated, epic skills that could only be obtained after reaching the later stages of the game.

‘It’s good that it’s here, but... this is awkward...’

It had been a mandatory skill he always took in the game, but he no longer felt an urgent need for it.

In the game, Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm had a higher grade than Fist of the Rending Cloud, while Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps had a higher grade than Whirlwind Cloud Steps. Their performance differed enough that they could be considered superior versions.

But Yuri now knew that reality differed from the game, and he also knew that learning entirely new martial arts took time and effort.

‘Putting aside Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm, which isn’t even here, is there any need to take Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps and learn it? Wouldn’t it be better to gain more experience and improve Whirlwind Cloud Steps instead?’

They were still good martial arts. Since they were treated as epic skills in the game, they would be called divine arts in this world. Yet he did not desperately need them right now.

‘Let’s look at some other things first.’

If nothing else seemed worth choosing, Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps would not be a bad choice. Yuri thought that and continued searching.

Honestly, he was more drawn to items than martial arts or magic. Martial arts and magic could only be copied, while an item meant receiving the original. That made it feel like the better deal.

Epic items in particular were usually one of a kind.

‘Wait.’

[No item named Heavenly Demon’s Divine Art is being stored.]

[No item named Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil is being stored.]

‘As expected.’

He had searched just in case, but the answer had been obvious. Since it was what he expected, he did not feel disappointed.

[No item named Kether is being stored.]

That was expected as well. If things were not different from the game, Kether, the ultimate accessory for mages, would be in the possession of Polar Point Arsen Lucionell. The current Zenith was alive and well, involved in the Vernoc conflict.

‘What would be good...?’

If he used a weapon, his choice would have been simpler, but Yuri did not use weapons. Nor was there a martial art he urgently needed.

First, he considered what he lacked right now. With a transmigrator’s mana affinity, the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil, and an Elixir he had consumed, he had no problem with inner power.

Martial arts? The same was true. Centered on the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil, he already possessed every martial art he needed.

Magic? Sealing Thunder at the Gate of Death and Eternal Thirst alone were not easy to master fully. If he grew greedy for more spells now, he would fail to master any of them properly.

Then he had no choice but to pick an item. What kind of item would help him in the future? Excluding weapons, perhaps armor or an accessory?

He recalled his fight with Agwi. He had thought about it and reached the same conclusion several times already, but surviving that fight had been luck. As Orca had said, Agwi had been too busy playing around, and Yuri had survived because of it.

There was no guarantee that every battle he faced from now on would be against someone weaker, equal to him, or a strong opponent he could contend with if he struggled hard enough.

What if he met an enemy on Agwi’s level? What if that enemy, unlike Agwi, was not arrogant, but a lion hunting a rabbit with all its strength? What if he could not even run, leaving fighting as his only option?

The first way out that came to mind was Geas. Even Agwi had escaped with the power of Geas from a situation where escape was impossible and death was certain.

‘Though Agwi didn’t escape unscathed.’

Yuri did not know how much power Agwi had gained through the restriction, and beyond that, Geas was not a power just anyone could use. No matter which sect someone chose, they had to offer a corresponding degree of faith to gain strength through Geas.

‘It seems penalty skills can be replaced with Geas, but what I need right now is...’

When he met a powerful enemy. When he could not flee. A power that would let him survive without dying. A power that would at least let him escape. A power that could make the impossible possible.

[Searching for items matching the specified conditions.]

Before long, the crystal ball’s voice continued.

[Three Blood of Frenzy items are being stored.]

[One Exploding Blood Art is being stored.]

[One Desperate Life-or-Death Elixir is being stored.]

The names of the items appeared. Yuri recognized some, while others were unfamiliar. Still, he had no trouble grasping their functions.

[Desperate Life-or-Death Elixir grants power beyond one’s limits when consumed, but the user will certainly die after its effect ends.]

The crystal ball answered the moment he wondered about it. Most of the items it listed were like that. In exchange for surpassing one’s limits, one either died or ended up a cripple...

‘Dying would be a problem.’

These were supposed to be used to overcome a crisis, but surviving the crisis only to die afterward defeated the purpose. Even as he considered it, the crystal ball continued listing items.

Most were items meant for mutual destruction or forced berserk states. In truth, berserk states were not unfamiliar to Yuri, formerly Lee Su-hyeok.

UrMumSpammer’s build had always included a berserk state. In the game, berserk states usually caused defense to become negative in exchange for sharply increasing offensive stats, but defense might as well not have existed for UrMumSpammer. What use was defense when he did not even wear armor? Endgame bosses killed you in one hit anyway.

So he had made good use of berserk states. He would enter a berserk state near death, raise his stats, and endure through life steal.

But berserk states in reality could not be the same as in the game. If he lost his reason, just as the name implied, he would not even be able to fight properly.

[One Banner of Reversing the Death Realm is being stored.]

That was the last name the crystal ball listed. This was an item that had not existed in the game.

[The Banner of Reversing the Death Realm is one of the Sect of War’s Divine Relics. It was transferred to the Mabeld Family a hundred years ago in exchange for continued offerings.]

[When one reaches the Death Realm on the battlefield and death is near, planting the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm creates a sacred domain of the God of War and can bring about a miracle.]

A Sacred Domain. A miracle.

Yuri’s thoughts stopped for a moment at those two words.

‘This is it.’

The Sect of War was famous for being hostile to transmigrators, but the Divine Relic allowed even someone who was not a priest of the sect to create a Sacred Domain and bring about a miracle.

‘The conditions are strict, though.’

It could only be used when he reached the Death Realm on the battlefield and death was close. He could not use it whenever he wanted. Even so, the words Sacred Domain and miracle were enough to sway Yuri. If he used it well, could it not overcome a crisis where death was otherwise certain?

‘What kind of Sacred Domain does it create, and how great is the miracle?’

[Not confirmed.]

Since it had never been used, the crystal ball did not seem to know its detailed effects.

‘Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps or the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm...’

His deliberation did not last long. No matter how divine an art Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps was, it could not compare to a Divine Relic capable of creating a Sacred Domain and a miracle.

‘If I really need it, I might be able to get it later.’

Yuri also wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with Alnair Mabeld. If they grew closer, perhaps he could enter this vault again someday.

“I’ve decided.”

Yuri opened his eyes. When he glanced over, Haryeong still had her hand on the crystal ball, her eyes closed.

“I’ll say this in advance. You can’t take back your choice. Once you say it, that’s final.”

Alnair spoke with a broad smile.

“I have no intention of taking it back.”

“Really? Then tell me. What did you choose?”

“The Banner of Reversing the Death Realm.”

“The Banner of Reversing the Death Realm...?”

Alnair’s brow twitched at Yuri’s answer. As he searched his memory for a moment, it twitched again.

“Huh.”

The expression on Alnair’s face was complex and peculiar. It was not simply that Yuri’s choice had surprised him. He looked as though the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm itself had a story behind it.

“Do you know what the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm is?”

“The crystal ball told me. It said it’s a Divine Relic of the Sect of War.”

“That’s right. It’s a Divine Relic, but one that has been sitting in the vault for a hundred years. Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know.”

“Because we never had cause to use it.”

Alnair clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“The Mabelds have been merchants for generations, never a martial family. That means we’ve never found ourselves in a situation where we could use the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm. Yet a hundred years ago, those bastards from the Sect of War swallowed the astronomical offerings the Mabeld Family made and gave us a Divine Relic like that in return. What do you think that meant?”

“I... don’t know.”

“I consider it mockery. Those idiots ran their sect on the offerings the Mabelds made, yet they looked down on merchants who never stood on the battlefield. So the Mabeld Family head from a hundred years ago, my grandfather, threw the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm into the vault. There was never any use for it.”

Alnair raised his hand. The ring on his finger emitted a faint light, and a door deep within the corridor swung open.

“The Banner of Reversing the Death Realm. I know its name and what sort of Divine Relic it is. But no one has used it, so I don’t know the details.”

As its name suggested, the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm was a flag with red cloth hanging from a golden pole. Yuri flinched slightly when he saw how much larger it was than expected.

‘Do I have to carry that around?’

It looked like it would fit if he crammed it into a magic bag. Alnair stared at the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm as it flew toward them, his expression complex.

“A mocking gift from a hundred years ago is finally leaving the Mabeld Family. Well, the head of the family cannot exactly carry that into battle. Cloud Dragon, from now on, you are the owner of the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm.”

With that declaration, the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm approached Yuri. Yuri swallowed and grabbed its pole. The Banner of Reversing the Death Realm, which had been as tall as Yuri, vanished.

“...?”

It had vanished, but it was not truly gone. Yuri could clearly feel the Banner of Reversing the Death Realm.

If he reached the Death Realm and death drew near, that red flag would appear before Yuri’s eyes.

‘At least I won’t have to cram it into a bag...’

Yuri thought that as he looked toward Haryeong.

At some point, Haryeong had opened her eyes and was staring straight at him.

“I’ve decided as well.”

Haryeong spoke.

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