[Ho-ho—this is an unexpected gain.]
The inheritance wasn't something material like treasure or magical artifacts.
The first Immortal King turned half of the continent into a land of death, and the second destroyed an entire empire.
Such feats were impossible to achieve alone, no matter how powerful one might be.
'There must have been followers who aided him.'
It's unimaginable for someone to attempt conquering the continent with their power alone.
It was possible because there were those with higher thought processes supporting him, not just simple undead that followed orders.
'The army of immortality, leading the conquest of the continent under the will of the Immortal King.'
Those who once turned half the continent into a land of death were precisely the legacy left by the Immortal King for future generations.
Due to their nature, their forces could only grow stronger as the wars continued.
The endlessly surging corpses and the valiant soldiers who fell in battle became part of them.
Naturally, the leadership of the continent, including the Holy Orders, chose to organize a suicide squad to target their leaders directly, and after countless sacrifices, the operation succeeded.
This was the case for both instances of the Immortal King's rise.
'It shows the tremendous resilience of the continent. The second one took great care not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor, yet he still met his end.'
Thus, while the damage the continent suffered was less during the reign of the second, the number of powerful individuals sacrificed to breach the defenses of the Immortal King's lieutenants was far greater.
'In the end, the forces under the Immortal King were dispersed.'
What mattered then was their whereabouts.
Most were subdued by the enraged continentals, but many managed to escape at their leaders' discretion.
Some hid in remote areas, while others created dungeons to fortify themselves.
And among the methods they chose was...
'Sealing themselves on the boundary with the abyss.'
Neither in the surface world nor in the abyss, but somewhere along that boundary line.
A dimension's crack, aimlessly drifting in an unobservable span of time.
Due to numerous fissures in the world weakening the dimensional barriers, and because they were undead, this method was the safest yet most uncertain.
They could avoid the continentals but had no guarantee when they would awaken.
They would have remained in that slumber until the next Immortal King arose to summon them.
'But now, someone has opened the abyss?'
Not just weakening the barrier, but literally puncturing a hole through it.
[Ah—I can sense them. Those who slumber on the boundary. There are quite a few remaining on the surface.]
What the previous Immortal King left was not just simple information.
If anything, it was akin to handing over the original contract.
If it had been consumed from the start, becoming one with them, this realization would have come naturally, but that was deliberately prevented, only to be discovered now.
'As long as it's known now, it's fine. Knowing beforehand wouldn't have changed anything until the abyss opened.'
The opening of the abyss might be bad, but since it's already happened, one must salvage what one can.
[...However, we've significantly delayed. It's uncertain if any of them remain.]
Given the impact on the continent, it's unlikely I was the only one to notice.
Those responsible for stirring up trouble were probably the ones who knew this fact best, so they likely made their escape immediately after achieving their objective.
'But I can't just not go and see for myself.'
Hans needed to personally verify the situation at the scene.
He focused at that spot, tracing the flow of energy once again.
It seemed like the ritual had ended, as the violent fluctuations were no longer felt as before...
But that was hardly a concern for him.
Whoosh—
In an instant, a tremendous dark power condensed and arranged itself according to Hans's will.
Constructed in such a way, the mystery wrapped his body in deep darkness.
[I do hope something remains.]
Immortal King Hans headed towards the southern part of the continent.
***
Underground in the Grand Temple of Pikaol, where the holy sword was sealed.
Squeak—
Fizzle—
'But this is still happening. Shouldn't it have stopped after pulling out the holy sword?'
For some reason, Heinrich was still experiencing the pain of his grip being burned and sparks running through his body, which continued unabated.
He tightly held the holy sword, which was still burning his hand, and quietly watched the tumultuous abyss.
If it were anyone else unaware of the outside situation, they would have been panicked by this sudden development, but he was already assessing the situation and contemplating countermeasures.
'It seems to be affected by the abyss that has opened.'
The fact that the holy sword was removed by him, weakening the seal, might have contributed as well.
The saying by the Saintess that 'the Grand Temple alone would be sufficient' didn't consider the current situation of the abyss having opened.
Then, the simplest solution would be to reinsert the holy sword back into the abyss.
Zzzt—
At that moment, the noise that had been continuously emanating from his palm began to gradually cease.
The energy of the holy sword that had been rampaging and damaging various parts inside him had now quieted down.
[The entity has met the conditions and gained enlightenment. Special Skill 'Blessing: Holy Sword' acquired.]
When he spread his hands that had been gripping the handle, the symbol of the Holy Order was engraved like a brand on his palm.
'The energy that entered my body has stabilized as well. So it wasn't just a test, but a process of fully accepting the holy sword?'
Heinrich continued to watch the abyss closely while examining 'Blessing: Holy Sword.'
'Not only can I enhance my attack power and physique with the energy of the holy sword, but it also allows for free shape transformation, and the brand on my palm has a subspace function?'
There was no need to mention the quality of the weapon and its function of amplifying holy power.
It was truly a weapon of the highest quality that could not be compared to any magical tool.
Such an item couldn't be found just anywhere.
But there's no way I would give up the holy sword and leave because of a small abyss like that!
'No chance. What's in my hand is mine already.'
After all, he came to retrieve the holy sword by the command of the Saintess.
Giving up was never an option considered from the start.
Plus, with the barrier of the Grand Temple, such an abyss shouldn't be able to exert any special influence...
Gurgle, gurgle~!
At that moment, the abyss suddenly began to churn violently.
Despite the surrounding barrier emitting light incessantly, its size had slightly increased from before.
And finally...
Puff—
Something burst forth from the abyss.
Fizz, crackle—!
Simultaneously, pure white lightning from the surrounding barrier struck at it.
Following that, numerous holy barriers began to activate all at once.
'As expected, the Holy Order wouldn't be so unprepared. They had everything ready. But that is...'
In the midst of the rising white light, an arm that had burst out from the abyss was writhing under the successive attacks.
[Grgh— What is this? Of all places to appear!]
A sound like scraping metal echoed from the hole in the abyss.
'Huh?'
It felt strangely familiar.
[Grr... Damned Order. But I can't give up now!]
Whoosh!
Another hand burst through the hole in the abyss as if tearing it wider.
Despite the intensifying attacks, the creature continued to tremble but did not stop.
[Hrmm... Now that I've returned...]
Slowly, its upper body began to rise.
It was a figure all too familiar to Heinrich, having fought back and forth with him just a moment ago.
'The lich from the third trial?'
Despite being nothing but bones and tattered robes, there was a certain feeling about it.
Moreover, Heinrich now had new information from an unexpected situation.
Based on Heinrich's observations, Hans's analysis promptly emerged.
'Drwell MacKain, one of the Immortal King's personal guards.'
He was one of the personal guards positioned around by the previous Immortal King in anticipation of the suicide squad.
Roughly ranked within the top 50, he had a talent for commanding troops rather than personal combat, managing undead forces to check enemy armies.
[Somehow I must escape this place... Huh?]
At that moment, as Drwell the lich was crawling out of the hole, his eyes met with Heinrich's.
"......"
"......"
After a moment of silence.
Drwell, whose gaze had met Heinrich's, slowly turned his head to survey the surroundings, then began to scrutinize Heinrich up and down again.
The interior filled with the Holy Order's symbols and prayers, the space exuding a solemn aura.
The pressure from the holy barriers relentlessly hammering his body...
And the hero standing right in front of him, quietly looking down at him while holding the holy sword.
He couldn't possibly fail to recognize that sword, a symbol of the hero.
How many of his comrades had been sliced by it? How could he forget?
Eventually, even the Immortal King he served fell to that sword, forcing him to seal himself to escape.
In anticipation of a future opportunity.
But now.
At the moment he had awaited for a long time, escaping the boundary, he found himself face to face with what appeared to be the hero of the current age.
[...Damn it, what a mess...]
It was a situation that inevitably made him curse.
While Drwell was stuck unable to move forward or back, Heinrich quietly observed him, organizing his thoughts.
'Was he drifting along the boundary and got sucked in due to the abyss opening? The reason he appeared in the trial was because the holy sword picked up information from him drifting close to its phase?'
Moreover, Drwell's fate was incredibly unfortunate.
It was good to naturally escape the boundary, but to emerge right in the middle of the Grand Temple where the holy sword was sealed.
Even if he somehow managed to escape this place, he wouldn't have made it a step outside the Grand Temple before being obliterated.
The Grand Temple was always such a place.
[Grgh... Damn it! Why won't it go back in...]
Then, Drwell, noticing Heinrich's attention, quickly attempted to re-enter the hole, only to let out a frustrated sigh.
Judging the situation to be unfavorable, he opted to be resealed, but even that failed.
Due to a force pulling him up from below, the passage through which he had emerged had become one-way.
Now, he truly couldn't go back or forward.
'It's regrettable, but I have to deal with it here.'
It was a pity to handle someone who could have been one of Hans's subordinates this way, but given the current situation, there was no choice.
Even if he wanted to spare the creature, it couldn't leave this place anyway and would be dealt with, so it was better to finish it off himself.
'Hm? What's that?'
Just as Heinrich was about to deal with the creature by gripping the holy sword, something familiar caught his eye through the lich's robes.
It was something he had seen before.
The source of the lich he had once destroyed.
'After all, it would have summoned its source to carry with it when hiding in the boundary. There would be no point in hiding otherwise. Wait, if that's there...'
Seeing it gave him a good idea.
With a meaningful smile, Heinrich approached the creature and slowly raised his sword.
The blessing of 'Enrichment' gathered a furious holy power into the holy sword, and the blessings of 'Light Sword' and 'Holy Sword' combined to cloak the blade in a brilliant golden light.
And then.
He charged at Drwell, swinging his sword.
[Curse these slaves of the Divine...! Do you think I'll end so easily!]
Of course, the creature wouldn't just stand there without fighting back; dense dark magic burst from its body, but the situation was much different from the trial.
Crackle—!
Being in the heart of the Grand Temple, it couldn't summon undead, and the holy barriers' energy from all around relentlessly tore at it.
Having just been released from its seal and not in full strength, and Heinrich, now wielding the holy sword, easily sliced through its dark magic...
[...Cough! Damn—!]
Ultimately, the creature couldn't resist and was consumed by holy flames, turning into a handful of ashes, leaving behind only its source.
"Let's see..."
Heinrich slowly walked over and picked up the source, which lay on the ground, still smoking.
Left alone, it would naturally disintegrate in this space's power without a chance of revival.
Woom...
But that wasn't what Heinrich wanted.
He recalled the new knowledge he had acquired and summoned holy power.
Then, using the sacred power manipulation technique from the "Rosia Combat Method" and applying the "Outerica Sacred Method"...
'...Done. The seniors are indeed incredible.'
He was able to 'seal' the source of the lich.
It was thanks to the know-how of the "Rosia Combat Method," intended for dealing with beings that couldn't be killed immediately.
Heinrich examined the source, now solidly crystallized without leaking a single drop of dark magic, and then placed it into the 'brand' on his palm.
'It's not very large, but this subspace isn't just for the holy sword. This will make a good gift for Hans.'
Gifts can foster affection.
Heinrich nodded slightly with a satisfied smile.
Whether they were both parts of myself wasn't important right now.
It was a matter of sentiment.