Chapter 316 Retrieval
'I am going to need you to aid me with everything you have ... I have to face against an opponent that I will have a really hard time against.'
[By everything I have, do you mean... That?]
Basil was having a conversation with Asia in his mind. While sitting on the porch of the wooden house in his Mindscape, Asia had been listening to what he said keenly, and couldn't help frowning the more she listened to it.
She was really curious about what kind of enemy he was going to face against, and why he had to fight that enemy. He hadn't told her about any of that, so she could only speculate.
'Yes, I want you to lend me some of your Soul Power.'
[It's not a big deal, but you know the requirements, don't you? I need a—]
'I can lend you my body. I am not going to like it, but I will use [Vacant Vessel] so you can posses it.'
Blinking her eyes in surprise, Asia couldn't believe the length Basil was willing to go through. She became even more curious about what caused someone as careful as Basil to be willing to let a stranger possess his body.
On the other hand however, she was also excited as she thought about what she could do upon possessing Basil's body. After being one with "Vagus," of course, what she was planning to do were related to indecency.
Just thinking about how helpless Basil when she did this and that to his body made her grin stupidly. If Basil had also been in his Mindscape, he would definitely bully her on the stupid face she was putting.
[Kuhum! Knowing that you have such a strong determination, I can not possibly refuse you.] Already composing herself, Asia looked dignified again. [I still need to remind you, however, about the consequences. Are you aware about any of it?]
'I am already aware about the fact that my body won't be able to handle the burden of hosting your soul for a long time. I can't measure how strong you are however, so I can't tell how long I will last.'
[You already know when your body indicates it is time to stop, don't you?]
'When all of my veins explode.'
Asia already had Vagus' memory about the decade she had spent together with Basil. She could already tell what kind of person Basil was, so she could somehow predict his answer to her question.
Still, she immediately scrunched up her nose upon hearing the answer. Knowing what Basil would answer beforehand, after all, didn't make her like the answer.
She understood well how tenacious Basil was and how resistant he was towards pain, however saying it like that made him look like he didn't care about his life.
Saying he would fight until his veins exploded was the same as saying he would fight until he was dead. It was not something she didn't want to happen, because of her fondness for him.
'You don't need to react like I was a lunatic.' Basil faintly smirked. 'I don't have any plan to die, and I am really hard to die ... At least, for an extended period.'
[What are you... Oh! The Phoenix Essence! You have plenty of it in your core.] Asia's eyes lit up. [You will be able to host my soul a lot longer that way.]
A drop of Phoenix Essence could heal any type of injury one had—even if it was as fatal as having one's heart pierced—and put one back into a healthy state.
As long as one still had a breath remaining, no matter how fatal one's injury was, with a drop of Phoenix Essence, one would still be able to walk like a person who had never been injured in one's life.
In his Core, although Basil was keeping extremely diluted Phoenix Essence, its real worth was still more than ten drops. It would allow him to take many fatal injuries, and survive them.
[You know, you can actually just put my soul into a sword, and I can still help you that way. I am, after all, technically your Sword Soul; I believe we will be able to perform decently together.]
'I know. That is why I am standing in front of this Obelisk.'
[... Yes? I am afraid I couldn't follow.]
'In this Obelisk, there is a quite durable weapon that can be your vessel. It is said to be the sharpest and most indestructible weapon human has ever made—the Claymore of Roland, Durendal.'
[Oh, yeah. I guess it is decent enough.] Asia shrugged lightly.
If the one who heard what she said hadn't been Basil, that person would surely throw up a mouthful of blood. That was how outrageous what she had said was.
Durendal was forged two hundred years after the end of the Age of Chaos. Its ability was earth shattering enough for the second King of Braxtein Kingdom to desire it.
It belonged to a person named Roland, who was a quite sensational General from Frachtenhein Kingdom.
During his time, there was a territorial war going on between Braxtein and Frachtenhein. Wielding Durendal, he was one of the strongest figures in the war.
The second King of Braxtein had seen himself how powerful of a weapon Durendal was, and he couldn't help the urge to own it. He had even come for Roland himself, but he didn't return with it even after killing Roland.
Many people wondered where it went, until Charlemagne, the King of Frachtenhein Kingdom at that time wielded a weapon that rivalled Durendal, Joyeuse.
Ever since the emergence of Joyeuse, it was believed that Durendal was taken away from Roland before the second King of Braxtein managed to get it. It was then reforged, which was the reason why Joyeuse performed like Durendal.
In truth however, Durendal had never been reforged. Joyeuse had existed even before Durendal went missing, however it wasn't used until the sword of Charlemagne, Roland died in the hands of the second King of Braxtein.
The second King of Braxtein had actually managed to get his hands on Durendal. Due to his not so pure mind however, Durendal cut his index finger off, which was later reattached, the moment he tested its sharpness.
It was clear that Durendal hosted a Sword Soul. The second King of Braxtein knew he wouldn't be able to ever wield it, so he threw it away and claimed that he had never gotten it.
He, of course, wasn't stupid enough to throw it just anywhere. He had looked for a Middle Class Demon, and forcefully put Durendal inside its stomach, of course, with its sheath on.
The Demon knew it had just devoured a quite precious weapon, so the moment the second King of Braxtein let go of it, it immediately went to present it to Goap, the owner of the Obelisk it was born in.
Goap unfortunately didn't like Durendal that much, so he killed the Demon, ignoring its plea to be allowed to live behind the Obelisk's Barrier once again. This was how Durendal had ended up rotting in the Obelisk of Goap.
Considering what kind of weapon that Asia had seen on her days as a living person, it was normal for her, who was even stronger than Goap to not be impressed. Not even Goap was impressed, so why would she be impressed?
[Did you ask the Guide about it?]
'There is no other way for me to know about it other than asking the Guide.'
[Fair enough.]
Ceasing the conversation with Asia now that he had planned everything, Basil turned to Ione. It was time to enter the Obelisk, and as the only person he could currently trust his life with, he wanted her to know about the plan.
"Ione."
"Yes, My Lord." Ione bowed politely.
"I will have to ask for your help."
"Tell me, and I shall aid you even if it costs my life."
Nodding his head simply, Basil said, "Here is what we are going to do..."
Basil had already known about Iliana's whereabout. He had figured her location out using [Visualization], and he already knew the quickest way to get to the place where she was, sort of, held captive.
Iliana was on the peak of one of the highest mountains in the Northern Mountain Region with Goap. It was a region filled with mountains that was known to be eternally snowing.
Apparently, Goap had been planning to go there, so he had carved a Teleportation Magic Circle in the Obelisk's secret chamber. Basil was going to use this Magic Circle to get there.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy to do that, since he had to clean the Obelisk off Demons first to get to the secret chamber. The two of them wouldn't be enough, so here is where the soldiers came in handy.
Raising Caliburn to the air, he could immediately feel the ground shake faintly. The soldiers back in the camp were already marching at him, ready to accompany him into the Obelisk.
"Our main objective is to get to the secret chamber—remember that, Ione."
"Yes, My Lord."
"I will look for Durendal as soon as we enter the Obelisk, so I need you to impersonate me. I want our disappearance to be as discreet as possible, so make sure to never engage in a conversation with anyone while you are impersonating me."
"I will keep that in mind, My Lord."
Nodding his head lightly, Basil turned to the Obelisk. His heart beat faster for some reason, even though it wouldn't be his first time to enter an Obelisk.
He was nervous—he knew it—but it wasn't because he was going to enter an Obelisk after a year of not entering one. It was because he was racing against time.
The life of someone precious to him was, after all, put at stake. It was hard for him to not get nervous.
No matter how considerably faster it was to go to Northern Mountain Region through a Teleportation Magic Circle, Basil still estimated it would still take them, at least, an hour to clear the Obelisk.
He could only hope Goap wouldn't do a thing to Iliana in that one hour. He, after all, couldn't prevent Goap from doing whatever he wanted.
"On your command, Head Commander!"
The soldiers reached the Obelisk after five minutes. Basil didn't even turn to them; he merely pointed Caliburn towards the Obelisk, before dashing into the Obelisk.
The others immediately followed suit, and since then on, what they were looking ahead of them was the back of Ione, who was impersonating Basil with her Art.