Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 282

A searing humiliation coursed through the Second Apostle’s entire body, making every nerve ache. Though the physical pain was excruciating, it was the crushing blow to his pride delivered by the First Apostle that he found truly unbearable.

“Ha… hahaha…”

A hollow, bitter laugh escaped his lips, trembling with a despair that echoed faintly in the vast emptiness around him.

The laughter, eerie and fractured, grew louder, reverberating through the desolate space and amplifying the chilling atmosphere.

“Ugh…”

With great effort, the Second Apostle propped himself up, his battered body protesting every movement as he finally managed to lift his torso off the stone disc.

Fixing his gaze on the sacred temple far in the distance, he dragged his heavy body forward, each step a monumental struggle.

At the temple’s entrance stood a massive stone slab, towering dozens of meters high like an ancient monolith. No one knew who had erected it; it was simply said to have been crafted by divine hands.

The slab was inscribed with scriptures, but time and the elements had worn away the carvings, leaving them so weathered they were illegible. The sacred text was now nothing more than faint grooves on the stone’s surface.

The Second Apostle knelt before the slab, closing his eyes as he reverently made the sign of the cross. Yet instead of finding solace, a wave of anguish and emptiness washed over him, his heart sinking even further.

Opening his eyes, he looked once more at the weathered slab, its worn surface a mirror of his own tattered spirit.

“Why have you forsaken me…?”

His voice cracked, his throat tight as tears welled up, threatening to spill.

A question that had plagued him for as long as he could remember slipped from his lips, quiet and tinged with bitter irony.

“How much longer… must we wander, searching for your voice…?”

With every ounce of his desperation poured into those words, his mournful plea echoed endlessly through the void, fading slowly into the hollow abyss.

***

The steps back to the nest felt as light as when Theo had begun his journey.

The surroundings, however, bore scars of destruction, their very terrain altered by the recent battle. Only those who had witnessed it firsthand would ever know how fierce the fighting here had been. Likely, no one would set foot in this place again until the Great Wall fell.

“What are we retrieving?” Theo asked, his curiosity piqued. If it were stored in Lodbrok’s nest, it had to be something extraordinary.

“Nothing much,” Lodbrok replied with a faint smile. “Merely an item to enhance the effectiveness of these materials. It’s not particularly rare.”

“You’re too kind, Loddy,” Theo said earnestly.

It wasn’t mockery but genuine admiration. The implication was clear—treatment could proceed even without the item. Yet Lodbrok chose to go out of her way to ensure maximum stability and recovery, accepting the inconvenience for Theo and Harald’s sake.

“Only realizing that now?” Lodbrok chuckled and glanced at Theo. For a brief moment, Theo’s golden eyes widened, then returned to their normal state in the blink of an eye.

“Is something wrong?” Theo asked, stepping closer.

“Hm, no,” Lodbrok replied, brushing it off with a faint snort before resuming her pace.

What’s going on? Theo wondered. Lodbrok seemed unusually pleased about something.

That damned elf left quite the parting gift.

Lodbrok had noticed Theo’s growth. The insights Theo had gained from his intense encounters had been seamlessly integrated into his body and aura, elevating his presence to a new level. It was a gift that more than made up for the regret of not severing the Second Apostle’s head. Though Theo himself was oblivious, Lodbrok could see his subconscious sharpening and wielding this newfound strength effortlessly.

I’m curious how far this blade of his will reach.

With that thought lingering in her mind, they finally arrived at the nest. Lodbrok began rifling through the mountain of treasures piled high around the space.

“It should be here somewhere.”

Clang!

Rattle!

As precious artifacts clattered about, Theo couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

I really need to document everything in this nest at some point, he thought. Searching through this treasure trove every time something was needed seemed inefficient at best.

Suddenly, a familiar sound chimed in Theo’s mind.

[Congratulations! You’ve completed the hidden follow-up quest!]

[Follow-Up Quest: Defeat one of the remaining Grade 1 Beasts.]

[By defeating the Sacred Demon Cult forces and their beasts, you’ve met the conditions for completion.]

[The difficulty has been upgraded from Grade A to Grade S.]

[Evaluation: S.]

[All active skills have been enhanced.]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Additional rewards will be issued.]

Oh? Theo’s eyebrows arched in surprise. The skill enhancements alone were a boon, but an additional reward? That was unexpected.

As Theo mused over the notifications, a small light began to take form in front of him, growing and solidifying until it landed gently in his hands with a soft thud.

A compass?

It appeared to be an ordinary compass, yet Theo knew better than to underestimate anything given as a system reward.

Where is it pointing?

The needle quivered slightly before locking onto a specific direction. Theo’s curiosity grew.

“What’s on your mind?” Lodbrok asked, noticing Theo’s distraction.

“Nothing,” Theo replied, quickly shaking off his thoughts. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Not yet. It’s in here somewhere.”

Lodbrok didn’t seem to notice or question the compass, which only deepened Theo’s suspicion.

Can she not see it?

Opening the compass, Theo saw the needle pointing northwest. Wherever it was leading, it was clearly significant, but Harald also needed them. The thought of the man waiting for them, yearning to see his daughter healed, left Theo feeling conflicted.

Just as Theo was about to make a decision, Lodbrok exclaimed, “Found it!”

She emerged from the treasure piles with a small orb in hand, her satisfied grin evident. The treasures she had overturned now formed small hills on either side of her.

“Congratulations,” Theo said with a chuckle.

The orb was diminutive, and it was clear Lodbrok had gone to great lengths to retrieve it.

“Loddy, before we meet Harald, there’s somewhere I need to go first.”

Though guilt tugged at him, Theo trusted Harald would understand. With that, the two of them left the nest, Theo walking in the direction the compass pointed.

“Where are we going?” Lodbrok asked, her tone laced with concern. She recognized the path—they were heading toward the heart of the Beastlands.

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” Theo admitted.

Lodbrok’s face twisted into an exasperated expression, but she quickly dismissed her doubts. Theo’s unpredictable actions often had a purpose, even if it wasn’t immediately apparent.

He’s just like Sigurd, Lodbrok thought. She recalled the enigmatic Sigurd’s tendency to cause chaos in the most peculiar ways. Now, watching Theo’s back, she couldn’t help but think he had inherited Sigurd’s knack for bizarre yet meaningful choices.

As they approached a sheer cliff, the compass needle trembled violently, pointing downward.

A chilling wind swept across the cliff, revealing a seemingly bottomless abyss. The void below was so dark it made Theo’s stomach churn just looking at it.

It’s pointing down.

The needle quivered and jerked, locking firmly on the darkness below. Theo let out a long sigh, pressing his fingers to his temple.

The system’s never lied to me before, but this...

Was it truly asking him to jump into the abyss? Theo hesitated, his instincts rebelling against the thought. But trusting the system, he steeled himself and leaped.

The wind roared past as Theo plummeted, his body compressing against the pressure. Above, Lodbrok calmly descended using magic, her movements graceful and unhurried. Theo’s freefall felt clumsy in comparison, leaving him feeling mildly humiliated.

To gain speed, Theo streamlined his body, falling faster and faster. At what felt like the midpoint of the descent, something caught his attention.

There’s something strange about the mana here.

The flow of mana was unnatural, as if greedily sucked toward a single point. Theo adjusted his posture, spreading his limbs to slow his descent as he scanned his surroundings.

“Loddy, could you cast a spell on me?”

Lodbrok raised an eyebrow but complied, extending a hand. A soft, blue glow enveloped Theo, neutralizing the effects of gravity.

“Thank you,” Theo said, focusing on the peculiar mana flow. It spiraled toward a single location, its movements unnerving in their intensity.

At the center of the vortex stood a jagged, obsidian horn, exuding an ominous energy.

It’s not stone... What is it?

The black horn shimmered faintly, its surface almost crystalline. Theo glanced at the compass; its needle now pointed unwaveringly at the horn.

“Loddy, can you take a look at this?” Theo asked.

Lodbrok examined the horn, her eyes narrowing as she traced the mana’s path. “It’s pulling mana toward itself with unusual force,” she said. “But it’s strange. If it were absorbing this much mana, it should have exploded by now.”

Her gaze sharpened. “This isn’t just an object. It’s a gate—a portal to somewhere else.”

Theo’s mind raced. What if I poured significant power into it?

If the horn was the gate’s aperture, it was too narrow to fully activate. But overwhelming it with energy might force it open.

Theo began channeling mana, his triple cores resonating with deep, rhythmic pulses.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Blue light swirled around his right hand, growing brighter and more concentrated with each passing moment. Once the energy reached its peak, Theo clenched his fist and struck the horn with all his might.