Chapter 75

The dungeon's seventh loop went smoothly and quickly. I memorized the route and dashed to the deepest part. It was fast, too fast.

Incidentally, Patrick had also defeated the boss golem three times. He targeted the joints, first the hands, then the legs, and finally the neck joint for the finishing blow.

He did what I wanted to do with a calm face. I wasn't at all regretful.

After obtaining our target, we immediately returned home.

Since we left early in the morning, it was still just past noon. We took a break while having tea and observed the elixir again.

The seven transparent vials on the table were so thin and delicate that they seemed to break at the slightest touch. They were almost invisible depending on the light. The contents of the vials were empty.

"This is empty, isn't it?"

"This is fine. It's not a potion or a drink."

"Huh? Is an elixir a recovery item?"

Patrick asked, puzzled by Remun's words. Ah, he didn't know what an elixir was.

I also had some game knowledge but didn't know the details. I just used the "use" command like other potions, so I only found out now that the vials were empty.

Remun picked up the elixir and spoke proudly.

"An elixir, or in other words, a resurrection drug. It's a universal recovery item that can even bring back the dead. It's an exception to the world's rules."

"Wait, you can come back to life even if you die!?"

I was really surprised. In games, HP 0 means you can't fight, and in reality, it's like being almost dead.

I thought it was an unnecessary item since I could use endless magic to cast recovery spells, but resurrection changes everything.

I can come back to life seven times, which is still far from twelve but is astonishing.

"Of course, there are conditions. You have to die immediately... within a few hours, I guess. And a part of the resurrection target must still exist."

"A part of the target?"

"It means it can't be completely destroyed. Like your black hole, which completely destroys everything."

"...I don't feel very confident about using it as a recovery item against Yumiera."

Patrick said with a grim face.

Using a spell that makes resurrection impossible, I must be really malicious and unreasonable.

Thinking that I probably wouldn't use it in the end, like in games, Remun laughed slyly.

"So, you should take a part of the body beforehand."

"Patrick, don't move, I'm going to cut off your arm!"

"Stop it! You're half serious, aren't you? Don't come near me!"

As I stood up, he also stood up and backed away.

To prepare for emergencies, I'll carefully store Patrick's arm. And every night before bed, I'll gaze lovingly at your dear arm and sigh. Maybe we can hold hands while sleeping, or try a real arm pillow.

"We can always... be together."

"Ah!"

"Hey? Why are you running? Hey? Why, why, why, why?"

Patrick's face turned pale as he put distance between us.

...Maybe I went a bit too far. Let's stop the yandere act here.

"Come on, it was just a joke. You're overreacting."

"...It looked real. Yumiera probably has that kind of potential."

"I was the most scared I've ever been."

So, I have a talent for being a yandere. I've reached a new level, but I don't feel any joy.

I sat back down and asked Remun.

"So, what does it mean to take a part of the body?"

"It's not as gruesome as you think. Hair is also a part of the body."

I see, so if I keep some hair, I can resurrect later.

Patrick, who had fled to the corner of the room, was about to return and sit down. He sighed and said,

"Fine, hair is okay. We can each keep some in case of emergencies."

As he was about to take a sip of tea, I leaned forward and reached out.

I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled hard.

"Here we go!"

"Ouch!"

I got the hair. I now have a bunch of gray hair in my hand.

However, the shock of the pull made Patrick drop his cup, and the sound of breaking porcelain echoed in the room.

"Oh, Patrick..."

"Am I to blame?"

He glared at me with slightly moist eyes, pressing his head. Well, I did pull a bit too much.

Then, Patrick can just pull my hair. It won't hurt or itch... I was about to snap back when Remun pointed at the broken cup indifferently.

"Why don't you fix it with the elixir?"

"Huh? It's just a teacup?"

"You're bringing a dead teacup back to life. It's that simple."

I didn't think inorganic objects had life and death.

Of course, a broken object won't be repaired by a potion. The elixir and potions are completely different, including the fact that it's not a drink.

I took one vial from Remun and looked at the scattered cup pieces on the floor.

"How do I do it?"

"Pour magic into the elixir. Focus your mind on the cup as if you're casting a spell."

"...Is this a one-use item? It seems wasteful."

"It's good to practice using it."

That makes sense. If I'm forced to use the elixir, the situation will likely be tense. I need to practice to handle it smoothly. I still have six left after using one.

Following Remun's instructions, I poured a little magic into the elixir and focused on the cup pieces, willing them to mend.

The effect was immediate.

Light overflowed from the vial and headed towards the broken pieces of the cup.

The pieces floated and moved, reconstructing the teacup like a puzzle. It landed silently on the table.

At the same time, the elixir in my hand shattered, sparkling and disappearing into the air. Oh, what a waste.

Patrick, who was closest, gently touched the cup with his fingertips.

"It's completely fixed. There's no sign of a seam."

"Wow, convenient."

"But... what is this..."

He seemed confused about something. Upon re-examining the teacup, I noticed the steam rising. The cup was full of hot tea.

"Why is there tea? And it's as hot as if it was just made?"

"It was less than half full and a bit cold, if I remember correctly."

The tea inside the cup was also resurrected by the elixir.

Is this the intended function? Is it a strange bug?

I looked at Remun, who smiled.

"A body can't be resurrected without a soul. The elixir not only reconstructs the container but also restores its contents. This is the power of the elixir."

Remun spoke about true resurrection, but I was thinking of something else.

This is more like a... no, never mind. The result is the same, right?

It was slightly different from what I imagined, but the elixir's power is excellent. It's best if it's never needed, but it's reassuring to have it as a backup.

I need to collect hair from Elenora and everyone in the mansion later. For Ryu, his shed scales should be fine.

"Be careful. The more complex and larger the target, the more magic it requires."

"Understood."

The magic consumption for fixing the cup was minimal. More magic is needed for human resurrection. Even more for Ryu. Larger and more complex... there's nothing like that. Ryu is very big and very cute.

I've never run out of magic, so I don't need to worry about that.

What concerns me is whether the situation allows for using the elixir. If everyone is wiped out, there's no one to use it, and I need to have the elixir on hand.

I used one, leaving six. Keeping them all in one place is too risky. What should I do?

"What should we do with these six? For now, Patrick and I will each keep one..."

"Would you like me to keep them? They won't get lost in the shadows, and I can bring them to you when needed."

"Um... okay, then."

I'm a bit uneasy about giving them to Remun, but I don't really need six elixirs. That's fine. I'll give the remaining four to him.

He roughly grabbed the vials on the table and tossed them into the shadows. It looks convenient and a bit envious.

"Since the recovery is fine... do you have any super strong weapons? I was hoping for something like that."

"Hmm... there are various things, but in your case, your bare hands might be stronger."

Remun tilted his head.

When I heard about collecting magical items from the dungeon, I thought there would be legendary swords. But I guess I'm not favored by the holy sword category. Maybe I can use a cursed sword.

After a moment, he tilted his head back and said,

"I can't think of anything suitable... do you have any preferences?"

What do I want? I don't want to make the gods too uncomfortable. I listed things that might exist and that I want.

"I want a sword that can shoot beams."

"It doesn't exist. That's not a sword."

"What about an arrow that reveals hidden abilities?"

"It doesn't exist. ...What is that?"

"Then, a belt that can transform?"

"It doesn't exist. ...So, what is that?"

There's nothing. I tried to pick things that might exist.

It's really disappointing. Three of my secret dreams were crushed. I was quite seriously sad when Patrick spoke up.

"What about that sword? The one Yumiera has."

"Oh... that one. It's just durable, I think."

He was talking about my dark-attribute sword.

I think it's valuable because it has a dark attribute, which I obtained after many dungeon loops. However, the strength of an attribute weapon lies in allowing the user to perform attacks they can't normally do. Since I can use dark magic, it doesn't benefit me much.

Where did I put it? It should be somewhere in my room.

Remun, who didn't know about the sword, looked at us curiously.

"Which sword? What are you talking about?"

"Then I'll go get it."

Since I was there, I decided to have Remun appraise it. I stood up and went to my bedroom to get the sword.

A few minutes later, I found the sword covered in dust on top of the closet and returned to the room where Patrick and the others were. It took me a while to find it. I had completely forgotten that I put it somewhere Elenora couldn't reach.

"Here it is."

"...A pruning shear?"

When I showed the all-black hilt and scabbard, Remun's face lost all expression. He sharply glared at the sword in my hand.

What's a pruning shear? I was also confused and checked my hand.

The shape itself is a very common bastard sword, shorter than a two-handed sword and longer than a one-handed sword. I usually use it one-handed.

"It's not a pair of shears, right?"

"...Where did you get this?"

"From the Barias dungeon... Is it something I shouldn't have?"

"Hmm, well, it should be fine for a human to use... just a durable sword... and there's no key..."

His words trailed off uncertainly.

I've used it for a while, but it seemed like a normal sword to me. I decided to check the blade and pulled it out of the scabbard.

Then Remun fell off his chair and crawled backward.

"Hey! That's dangerous!"

"Sorry."

I've never seen such a big reaction from him. Is this sword that dangerous?

"The dark attribute is rare, but there's nothing strange about it, right? Can you tell me more?"

"This shouldn't exist in this world. It must have slipped through from somewhere."

"Is it dangerous?"

"As I said, it should be fine for a normal human to use. I knew it existed but had never seen one."

Remun spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.

It seems a bug item that shouldn't be in the dungeon appeared. I thought I was unlucky, but maybe I'm actually very lucky.

"So... what is this, exactly?"

This god only reveals information that suits him, so it's hard to get answers.

If it's safe, I'll use it as usual, and if it's dangerous, I need to manage it properly. For example, I could put it somewhere Elenora can't reach. Ah, then the top of the closet is fine.

After solving the problem in my mind, Remun spoke solemnly.

"It's a tool to manage... no, all parallel worlds. Like cutting overgrown branches, it's a sword to eliminate unnecessary worlds. The god's pruning shear. The pruning sword."

"Pruning... sword"

"Yes. It should be owned by a higher god. Without the key to unlock its power, it should just be a durable sword."

"Such a... thing"

"Yes. It's beyond human capabilities. Would you like me to keep it?"

"No... if I keep it... my inner middle schooler will awaken. Hehehe..."

I couldn't help but laugh strangely.

Come on. A pruning shear that cuts worlds? It can't be used without a key? Pruning sword?

This is bad. I thought middle school syndrome was like measles, where you build immunity after one bout, but it seems different. Maybe it's like the flu.

Calm down. I'll create a new black history at this age. Especially since the bards are already spreading a middle school story based on me.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. ...Okay, I'm fine now.

I nodded at the two who looked worried by my strange laugh.

"I'm fine. I can suppress the curse."

"...Okay, I don't really understand, but good luck."

"Yumiera, you're thinking about something ridiculous again, aren't you?"

As expected, Patrick saw through me.

But... my line just now is also kind of middle school syndrome.

As I tried to suppress my grin, Remun pointed at the sword, trembling.

"Then I'll keep it... okay?"

"...I kind of want to keep it. I might need it in an emergency."

"If I manage it, you don't need to carry it all the time."

I can understand his point. If I'm just going to leave it on top of the closet, it might be better to give it to the god of darkness, who can bring it to me anytime.

But... Remun might not return it unless it's an emergency.

He pushed me to give it to him. He probably wants to keep the dangerous item under his watch.

"Um"

"I can get it from the shadows anytime."

From the shadows?

I said, "Remun!" and the nearby Remun whispered, "I'll approve it," and the shadow wavered, and the pruning sword appeared.

No, no, let's make it more dramatic. It would be cool to manipulate the shadows and make it look like Remun is pulling the sword out of his body. The possibilities are endless.

"Let's give it to you. But with one condition."

"...What is it?"

"Please do a dramatic reveal."

"......I'll do it!"

I happily handed over the sword after getting his agreement.

I should have realized at that moment. That he was confidently agreeing without fully understanding the situation.