Chapter 4 | The Assassin Gets Horribly Injured
This is unbelievable…
I stood astonished as I beheld the raw power of the Fruit of Life. I’d expected it to be massive beyond my estimations, of course, but it exceeded even the realm of imagination.
The Fruit of Life was more than a mass of energy. The over ten thousand souls weren’t just consumed and converted into nourishment, they were reborn as a single fruit. It had a pulse, and it was alive.
That set its very essence apart from Fahr Stones, which were no more than mana batteries. The Fruit of Life, however, was a generator that produced an endless amount of mana. Many things could store magical power, but only life created it.
The Demon King was born after eating several of these. I got chills just thinking about it. A single Fruit of Life was so powerful that I thought it might rival Epona’s might. If the Demon King was formed using multiple Fruits of Life and demons, he would be invincible.
More immediately troubling was the saliva that had been building in my mouth. Just like the first time I saw this incredible object, a craving was raging in my chest.
I want to eat it. It looks delicious. I had never felt such hunger before. I once fasted for two weeks for training purposes, and the desire I felt then paled in comparison.
My instincts were screaming for me to eat the fruit. It was such a sweet temptation. I felt like I would lose my mind if I didn’t bite into it at once.
Fortunately, my reason triumphed. There was no way I could handle such massive power. The nature of the fruit was what made it so dangerous. If it had been no more than a pure mass of energy, I would have been able to adapt using Rapid Recovery and Limitless Growth. I could eat it bit by bit, heal any damage to my body as I went, and adjust to the new strength. It would be possible for me.
However, this power was alive. I would cease to be myself. It was an unnatural, overwhelming thing made by forcibly bundling and blending the wishes and emotions of over ten thousand people. If I consumed all that, assuming I survived, Lugh Tuatha Dé would vanish, and I would become some other entity. Only a puppet of the Fruit of Life would remain.
This is a literal forbidden fruit. I smiled painfully. There was no doubt I would become very strong if I ate it. I would become a monster that surpassed the hero. In exchange, I would lose everything that made me who I was.
Sometimes it was important to follow your instincts, but this was not such an occasion. I overcame the compulsion with reason, and pushed aside dark temptation.
To an assassin, a cool mind was the greatest weapon.
“Okay, time to see your true colors.”
I overcame all emotions and instincts and began to analyze the violent crystallization of human souls. Undoubtedly, understanding its true nature would reveal some hidden secrets.
Five hours later, I’d managed to drag myself back to the estate.
“Aaaah! What happened to you, my lord?!” Tarte screamed, dropping the plates she was carrying.
“I overdid it…just a little. Don’t worry… I performed…first aid. Call Dad for me… I can’t heal myself…any further…”
I was in horrific condition. My clothes were tattered and drenched with blood, and there was a large laceration in my chest. My left hand was horribly burned, my right arm was broken, and my ribs and my left leg were cracked. I hadn’t been wounded this badly in a long time.
To make matters worse, mana containing the Fruit of Life’s will surrounded my body, obstructing the effects of Rapid Recovery. Fortunately, I’d avoided injuries that would leave permanent after-effects.
“Understood! I will call for Lord Tuatha Dé immediately!”
“Thanks. I’ll be waiting in my room.”
Dad was the best doctor in the country. I was in good hands.
I’d hit my limit. I leaned on the wall, all but collapsing against it. Tarte sprinted to Dad’s study. I walked to my room as best as I could.
“I was carrying around an outrageously powerful bomb…”
My body was ragged, and I was all out of mana. Despite that, the corners of my mouth twisted into a smile. Although my injuries were grievous, I’d made some tremendous discoveries. Despite the difficulty, I’d successfully analyzed the Fruit of Life.
I’d gained new strength in the process and learned a rule that the goddess, the demons, and the church had been concealing. That was significantly more valuable than mere strength.
I discovered an option the goddess and the demons had kept to themselves. If I picked it, I could aim for a conclusion that neither the goddess nor the demons—the players of this game—desired. And I intended to do just that. Following the guidelines they’d set would lead to my happiness crumbling.
I get it now.
I finally understood why Epona would go mad in the future.
I opened my eyes. My body had been healed, and my clothes changed to comfortable pajamas. Bandages covered me, and while I didn’t know how it’d been accomplished, the harmful mana blocking my recovery was gone.
Dad really was the best. He’d treated me flawlessly.
“Ah, you’re awake, my lord!”
“You have no idea how much you worried me, Lugh.”
Tarte and Dia took my hands and spoke to me as soon as they saw that I was awake.
“…I lost consciousness,” I remarked.
“You gave me a shock. When I led Lord Tuatha Dé to your room, we found you collapsed motionless in front of your bed,” Tarte explained.
Tearfully, Dia admitted, “I thought you were dead for a second.”
I remembered it faintly. When I entered my bedchamber, all of my strength finally left me and I tumbled to the floor.
“Sorry about that. I pushed myself too far this time,” I apologized.
“Take us with you if you’re going to do something that risky!” Dia scolded.
“Yes, please do! It’s my duty to protect you, my lord!” Tarte added.
“It was too risky. One mistake and I would’ve died. If you two had been there, you absolutely would’ve been injured…and significantly worse than me,” I responded. Put bluntly, the Fruit of Life’s power was absolutely too much for me to handle.
“That’s why we needed to be there. We’ve gotten stronger, too. We don’t need you to guard us all the time, Lugh,” Dia protested.
“That’s right. I’m working hard every day to hone the power you gave me,” Tarte said.
Ever since I gave them Rapid Recovery and Limitless Growth using My Loyal Knights, the girls had been performing additional training to improve their physical capabilities and increase their mana capacities. The results were beginning to show, and Dia and Tarte now stood at the peak of human capability.
I only needed to reflect on our battles against the demons to understand that they were right. I wouldn’t have defeated any of the demons on my own. I’d only been able to kill those monsters because Dia and Tarte were with me. They didn’t need me to shield them anymore… I should have understood that.
“You’re right. I’ll ask for your help next time.” There was nothing for me to do but agree. I had to acknowledge Dia and Tarte as ready.
“I’m glad you can admit your mistake. I’m going back to my room. Take today to rest, okay?” Dia urged.
“Will do. I am pretty tired.” Rapid Recovery had restored a significant portion of my stamina and mana already, yet my body felt like lead, and it was difficult to think straight.
Fidgeting, Tarte asked, “Um, can you eat? Lord Tuatha Dé said you were well enough to.”
“Then I’ll try. Something light like noodles would be nice,” I requested.
“Yes, my lord. I’ll get right on it.”
As the two left the room, I sat up and called, “Hey, am I still me?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course you’re you,” Dia answered.
“Um, are you not feeling well?!” Tarte questioned with clear urgency.
“No, it’s nothing. Sorry for the weird question.” I lay back down in the bed.
I’d had an accident when I was analyzing the Fruit of Life. I was very curious to study it, but I never intended to use it for power. Attempting to do so would have been too dangerous.
However, I underestimated what it meant for the Fruit of Life to be alive and possess a will of its own. It acted toward goals; that’s why it tempted me to eat it. I thought I was safe when I resisted that urge, but that’s when the fruit played its next card. It tried to consume me.
The Fruit of Life formed a connection with me. The collective consciousness of over ten thousand souls crushed my individuality, and I was pushed to the brink of becoming a puppet for fulfilling the fruit’s goal. Fortunately, I used the insurance I’d prepared just in time, and I managed to protect myself while quieting the connection.
I learned a lot when the Fruit of Life took hold of me, for it filled my head with its goal and how to achieve it. That came with a consequence, though—I was still connected to it. I’d weakened the link, but I wasn’t able to sever it.
“…Hahhh… What should I do about this?”
I lifted a hand, and a vast amount of mana flowed from it. The amount was several times greater than what I could release with my instantaneous mana discharge. Undoubtedly, the source of this energy was the Fruit of Life, which I’d sealed in the Tuatha Dé domain using a secret method. Still, no matter the distance, I was linked to the fruit, and reaching out to it a little was all it took to produce this much mana. The output would be far greater if I unleashed its full power.
I only intended to use it in dire situations. This power was a double-edged sword. If anything went wrong, I could cease to be me; it was that dangerous. That said, this strength was undeniably great. If I was to follow the path that enabled me to outmaneuver the goddess and the demons, I undoubtedly wouldn’t require this incredible might.
I needed to think of a way to live with it safely, even if that was playing into the Fruit of Life’s plan.
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