I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

52 – 052. Plum Blossom Divine Elixir

Early afternoon, the Crown Prince visited the manor again.

‘Here are the promised items. My departure for the western border will be delayed by about a week.’

The Crown Prince handed over the ‘Plum Blossom Divine Elixir’, which I’d half-jokingly asked for. At the same time, he added that the ‘Magic Tower’ had dispatched personnel to investigate the incident at the scene.

“The Plum Blossom Divine Elixir…”

In the room of the manor, seated at the table, I gazed intently at the small box.

Plum Blossom Divine Elixir.

Among the many ‘elixirs’ that appear in ＜Silver Ring＞, it’s a treasure of immense value, boasting a 0-tier ranking.

It would be extremely difficult to find anything of equal value, searching both the Western and Eastern continents. The Great Rejuvenation Pill of Shaolin, or the Ionia Elixir of the Helios Magic Tower would be needed to even come close.

‘Perhaps my title as a Grail Knight wielded a great deal of power…’

The gold-plated box seemed to radiate a valuable presence on its own.

“Alright.”

Snorting, having mulled it over, I adjusted my posture.

Yeah, it’s just something I received, anyway. Just think of it as an expectation placed on me, a price paid for the subjugation of demons.

Click—!

“……Huh.”

I raised my hand, slowly opening the box. Then, I experienced something incredible.

*Whoosh*, a clear, blue fragrance numbs my sense of smell. A sweet plum blossom scent filled the air. It was like being on a volcano where plum blossoms were blooming in abundance.

*Ssssk*.

The plum blossom elixir was a pure white, faintly tinged with pink.

The feeling of excitement, just by looking at it, was definitely no illusion.

‘…First, I’ll sit cross-legged.’

The memory of taking the elixir Maria gave me in the recent past still lingered in my mind.

I plopped down on the hard floor of the room and immediately sat cross-legged.

‘No need for a protector. No one’s going to break into the mansion.’

It was the dead of night. Ariel, Leon, and Mary were all asleep, so it was the perfect time to take the plum blossom elixir.

And then…

*Gulp*!

I slowly brought the plum blossom elixir to my mouth and didn’t hesitate to put it in.

Then.

*Sizzle—!*

“……!”

An astonishing phenomenon struck my entire body.

It was a reaction that was clearly different from the elixir Maria had given me in the past. The moment the elixir entered my mouth, a sizzling sensation tore through my entire body!

*Thump!*

“Ugh!”

The elixir’s energy, melting as soon as it touched my saliva, permeated my body. The enzyme of the elixir, passing through my esophagus, was gentle, but it vibrated my lower abdomen with a destructive force.

‘Maria said, don’t try to control the energy, just let it flow.’

*Crunch*, I gritted my teeth, recalling Maria’s advice.

She had said that a certain percentage of the elixir’s energy being lost was natural.

But…

*Crack—!*

I, on the contrary, became greedy.

Not some common elixir or pill, but the Plum Blossom Divine Pill, a Tier 0 elixir of the ＜Silvering＞! No way was I going to easily let go of this lucky break.

Wooom—!

I circulate the mana throughout my body. It was happening, what they call the “Great Circulation” in the Eastern Continent.

Mana flows through my entire being. A constitution like a dragon’s was slowly starting to resist the Plum Blossom Divine Pill’s eons-old power.

Drip!

Sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, I felt hot liquid trickling from my nose.

Wooom!

‘Rage moderately!’

The Plum Blossom Divine Pill’s energy was like a tidal wave.

It felt similar to when I consumed the elixir made by grinding up a thousand-year-old He Shou Wu in the past. But looking back, that experience was nothing more than a gentle splash compared to this tidal wave.

The overwhelming force coursing through my body was incomparably stronger than before.

Kwaaahhh—!

The Plum Blossom Divine Pill’s power surges through me.

Past the now-opened Governor and Conception Vessels, past the Life and Death Gate, through every blood vessel, every cell. The energy swept through everything within my body.

Wooom—!

A colossal power that defied imagination, yet I did not lose focus.

I circulate my mana. From the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I rotate the raging torrent of the Plum Blossom Divine Pill’s energy.

‘I’m going to…take all of this.’

I repeated this in my mind, obsessively indulging in the pill’s energy.

If I were a normal person, I would have surely suffered a Qi Deviation.

But I am not ‘normal’. Numerous blessings, a body strengthened by mana. Divine artifacts aid me.

Therefore.

‘I’ll swallow it all.’

Kwaaa—!

Amidst the surging energy, I circulated the mana and power once more.

Wooom——!

‘I will possess it!’

Crunch!

I clenched my teeth hard enough for blood to seep out, and continued the work of mixing my body’s mana and the pill’s power together.

Somehow, I knew that giving up here meant crossing a point of no return. So I pushed forward. If I reached my limit, I’d just shatter it.

* * *

*CRACK!*

That’s when it happened. A sound like something breaking inside his body echoed through the room.

*Sssshhh.*

Just blankly.

Slowly… his eyelids lifted. Half the thread of his consciousness had frayed, so even this was more instinct than will.

‘….’

He couldn’t see anything. What little was visible through his blurry vision was, shockingly, a pitch-black shadow.

But.

He didn’t feel all that bad. The extreme unconsciousness continued to circulate mana and energy throughout his entire body. Intense pain raged across his flesh, but for some reason, the sensation felt… pleasurable.

*Ssshhh…*

And so.

His consciousness flew beyond the dark horizon. He fell into a trance. It was like a dream.

…

..

.

*CRACK! CRACKLE!*

It was much later, after a long time had passed, that Frey’s body, left alone in the dark room, began to contort.

Dawn was starting to break. Suddenly, Frey’s bones, his muscles… his entire body was being subjected to a sudden, cataclysmic shift.

*Ckk…!*

The shocking scene didn’t stop there.

Frey’s bones began to twist, becoming limp, almost crumbling into fragments.

And then.

Another long while passed. His bones, once as soft as a mollusk, started to harden.

At the same time.

*TZZZ! TZZZZ!*

This time, his muscles all over his body tore apart. And, what’s more, those torn muscles went through the same phenomenon as the bones before.

*Thud!*

Again, time passed.

The softened muscles hardened once more. Then, Frey’s skin, all the hair on his body, clumped together… losing their strength and falling to the floor.

*Whoom!*

The formidable energy of the plum elixir, Frey’s enlightenment, his yearning to ascend higher, permeated every pore.

*Shooosh!*

New flesh bloomed. Where it had fallen away, new hairs took root.

*Thrum! Thrum!*

And finally, a murky energy was expelled through every pore on his body.

*Hsss…….*

Lost in a trance, Frey was oblivious to his current state.

He simply parted his lips slightly. A wisp of pure white vapor trickled from his mouth.

* * *

*Cheep! Cheep cheep!*

“Haaahm… uuuh!”

Awakened by the sound of chirping birds, Ariel stretched languidly.

“……”

A faint smile graced her face as she worked the stiffness from her limbs. It was a peculiar reaction for someone just waking up. She even wore an expression like she’d just had a wonderful dream.

*Slish.*

Slipping a thin cardigan over her camisole, she slid her feet into slippers. Her hair was disheveled and her skin wasn’t in the best condition…

But, more than that, she wanted to check if everyone in the manor had slept well.

*Creak-*!

For Frey, who was likely still deep in sleep. Ariel very carefully opened the door and stepped outside.

However.

“Uh, uhn…?”

A peculiar sight entered Ariel’s vision.

Since when, she wondered, was Mary, in thin clothing, squatting in front of Frey’s room.

“Shhh!”

“……?”

Mary’s next action was simple.

She raised a finger to her lips. And warned Ariel to be quiet.

“Mary?”

For some reason, it felt like making noise was forbidden. Ariel called out to Mary in a very cautious, quiet voice.

“Gotta be quiet.”

“Quiet? Why would we?”

*Squeeze*

A smile crept onto Ariel’s lips as she gently embraced Mary’s shoulder.

She figured Mary was probably trying not to wake Frey.

But then.

Mary shook her head, and pointed a finger towards the room. Behind the firmly closed door was Frey, the room’s owner. What could be happening to him?

“What’s wrong?”

“Look here.”

Mary stood up slowly, cautiously grasping the doorknob of the room where Frey was sleeping.

And then.

*Click*

Like parents touching a newborn, with unbelievably delicate hands, she slowly… painstakingly, opened the door.

“…Ah?”

The door opened silently. And, seeing the scene beyond it, Ariel’s eyes widened.

What the heck was going on?

In the middle of the room, Frey sat cross-legged. His clothes were covered in black marks and bloodstains. It looked as though he’d been in a fierce fight the night before.

But.

Incredibly, unbelievably.

Frey was smiling. A faint smile played on his lips. His eyes were closed, and he wore a look of utter happiness.

And on top of that.

“Ah, aah…”

Even more shocking, three flowers floated above Frey’s head.

Like large plum blossoms.

Pink-tinged flowers that seemed to bless Frey… brightly illuminating the dark room.

Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown.

Ariel was clueless. She had no idea what achievement Frey had attained.