F-ranker Sword Saint: My Soulbound Sword is Secretly SSS-tier!-Chapter 246: Forbidden Knowledge (1)

Four wretches marched across a gentle ridge.

Caleb glanced at the gray skies, finding it not so hopeless anymore.

After staying the night at the Stone Castle, the Damnedlings marched back to Egress under Thrad’s leadership, while Caleb, Lesha, Elara, and Daru headed for the peak of the Altar Mountain.

The aftermath of the bloody battle should’ve been bitter.

Yet, it wasn’t.

It was quite bittersweet, in fact, and everyone shared the same sentiment.

Hark and Borz had apparently perished.

Based on the story of those who saw them, the two beastkin fell prey to their race’s flaw, succumbing to the bloodlust and going out wildly swinging.

Their deaths were heroic for sure, but it was sad nonetheless.

The two, despite being only slightly older than Caleb and Lesha, had accompanied them through a lot of challenges.

It was quite tragic — a bit unfair, even, that they wouldn’t be among those returning to their worlds.

Strangely, no one felt too dejected. Most were merely thankful that they had survived.

Now, they were only one battle away from freedom.

Although the recent losses were quite heavy, they still had a fair shot, and while the upcoming war with the Lord of the Cemetery would be deadly, it would be more straightforward compared to the chilling uncertainty of the attack on the Stone Castle.

All they had to do was storm the heart of the cemetery and take the head of the Gravewarden.

Accomplishing such a feat was far easier said than done, though.

While Caleb and the others had already caught a glimpse of the cemetery lord, they were too far from it, and so they didn’t see its nameplate.

Even merely knowing the Gravewarden’s hitpoints would’ve helped a lot.

Unfortunately, it had now become a matter for the future. Caleb shifted his attention elsewhere.

He glanced at Lesha for no longer than half a second, fully knowing that the Veshari could sense gazes.

He then fell deep in thought.

The four continued to make their way up, and a few hours later, after making one last climb that almost sent the poor, struggling princess falling to her death, the altar came into view.

’I should not have come here...’ sighed Elara inwardly.

She thought witnessing whatever ritual would happen was quite fun, so she tagged along instead of going with Thrad and the others.

Who knew climbing mountains was so difficult?

Elara shot a resentful glance at Daru, whom she asked about the matter. The unpleasant fellow said that the difficulty was alright.

’How the hell is that just "alright"?!’

She was already here, though, so she might as well enjoy the show.

Daru, oblivious to his temporary comrade’s thoughts, proceeded to walk to the Stone Altar.

What he apparently had to do was quite simple: place all five sacrificial relics on the stone table and press his palm on the black pentagram.

He would then obtain an item that would allow him to open and close a portal to Limbo.

As for how that would work in sending the other Damnedlings back to their worlds, it was unclear.

What was clear, however, was that Nando was hiding a lot.

How could the old man know about all that if he hadn’t even been to this side of the Underworld River?

He was being far too secretive for reasons unknown, and though Nando wasn’t exactly subtle about it, his determination to keep the source of his hidden knowledge concealed was as immovable as an ancient mountain.

So, everyone just made peace with it.

It was also clear, at least, that the old man meant no harm and was even sincere in helping them.

That was enough.

Very soon, Daru arrived in front of the stone table.

He scanned his eyes across the elevated platform for a few moments, taking note of the insignias in the stone cairns before turning his attention back to the stone table.

He then retrieved the relics one by one — the Leaf of Indulgence, the Circlet of Thorns, the Broken Sword, the Evil Eyeball, and lastly, the one he felt reluctant to let go of the most, the Crown of the Forsaken Legions — and placed them all on the tabletop.

’At least the ritual isn’t too heretical...’ Daru mused, pressing his palm on the black pentagram.

...He shouldn’t have spoken too soon...

In the next moment, maddening revelations about the realm entered his head, and Daru felt like he would go insane due to the sheer mental strain.

The Lost Damnedlings, the Ancient Settlements, the Stone Castle, The Five...

Information about them before they ended up in this godless realm entered his head.

As it turned out, the Lost Damnedlings were shallow sinners from a group of worlds, including Neo-Earth, who had done malicious deeds due to the necessities of surviving.

This realm — Limbo — was the appropriate location for them to repent.

With their sensitivity to pain and hunger multiplied by a hundred times and their physical shells toughened by the same amount, their struggles were long, agonizing, pathetic, and unsightly.

Even dying through hunger or thirst wasn’t any easier than being slain — just as lengthy and excruciating as dying a slow death after being gutted.

There was the matter of being caught by the Soulcatchers, too.

That...was the most unfortunate of endings.

Only once the divine laws deemed that they had suffered enough would they enter the Underworld River and be granted reprieve through oblivion, their souls becoming a part of its ever-expanding stretch and their memories enriching its harrowing collection.

As for what those echoes of past lives would be used for, only the Gods and Goddesses knew.

Perhaps the Demon Kings, too. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Strangely, as soon as the necessity for him to know the stream of information — unfit to be known by mere mortals — disappeared, he forgot them all, or at least it all disappeared somewhere in his memories, seemingly waiting to be unlocked once his mind was ready to house them.

[You’ve gained 5 Will.]

Then came the Ancient Settlements.

The Wraiths.