My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 233

233. Transcendence Enhancement (1)

Clang, clang, the fanfare echoed.

Even Semir stopped hammering and looked over at the sound.

Sian stood frozen for a moment.

His mind was blank.

A sharp silence descended.

“Huh…?”

《Huh…?》

Along with Sian’s dazed voice, the Mobile Lord’s notification window popped up.

After a short time, Sian’s mind snapped back.

And he could confirm the unsettling silence.

Sian felt a sense of unease because it was too quiet.

Of course, there was the fanfare from the smartphone just now.

The sound was definitely like a success fanfare.

It was the same fanfare sound as when he had successfully enhanced the Transcendence-grade sword in one go.

But something… something was wrong.

First of all, no additional notification sounds were heard.

It was too quiet.

More than anything, the SSS-grade armor he tried to enhance had no light flowing from it.

Just then, ding!

A cheerful notification sound burst out.

Sian slowly turned his gaze and looked at his smartphone.

And a notification window popped up on the screen.

《Achievement: Success is a…! What does your father do?! What? He fails?! (Achieved!)》

[Achievement Condition: Achieved 200 cumulative enhancement failures]

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That was an absurd achievement!

Sian’s body froze.

With his body frozen, the content of the achievement naturally came into view.

[Success is a…! What does your father do?! What? He fails?!]

So… Success’s father is failure.

In short, failure is the father of success?

“What the─.”

What a terrible achievement!

Clang!

In the first place, failure was not the father of success, but the mother!

Well, that’s what it means.

More than anything, there was a similar achievement last time.

I think it was something like, ‘Our Success. Failure is her daughter.’

Of course, it wasn’t revealed here whether failure is Success’s mother or father─.

No, no.

Whatever these things are.

In the end, what that achievement indicated was one thing.

《Morkru’s Energy 33.3%(+0.37%)》

“Failed… did I?”

The enhancement failed.

Ding!

《Yes! Yessss!!》

《Yesssssssssss!!》

The Mobile Lord shouted with joy.

Of course, it was only part of the notification window.

However, Sian could clearly see the emotion of joy in the notification window.

Sian clenched his smartphone tightly.

At the same time, he felt a sense of resentment rising from deep within his chest.

Sian gritted his teeth and suppressed his anger.

“Once. It’s just a single failure.”

If you think about it, it wasn’t a big deal.

In the first place, the success rate was only 1%.

It was a probability of succeeding once after 100 attempts.

He had only failed once now.

More than anything, Sian hadn’t tried the Transcendence enhancement 100 times yet.

The absurd achievement above included the previous S-grade, SS-grade, and SSS-grade enhancements.

There hadn’t been 100 failures in the Transcendence-grade enhancement yet.

In other words, there was no problem even if you considered the expected value of probability.

Last time, the Transcendence-grade sword was an unbelievable stroke of luck.

Yes, he didn’t think it would work the first time from the beginning.

“Semir! Keep making armor!”

Sian shouted at Semir and pressed the 【Enhance】 button again.

《Starting enhancement!》

The Mobile Lord’s notification window popped up as if screaming.

At the same time, a bright light burst out.

《Enhancement Failed》

《Morkru’s Energy 33.67%(+0.37%)》

Along with the notification window that the enhancement had failed, Morkru’s energy accumulated once again.

“Damn it!”

Sian shouted without realizing it.

Of course, it was still only two failures.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel upset.

More than anything.

《It’s a failure! Ding ding!》

《Enhancement big~~~ failure!》

That Mobile Lord who was being sarcastic.

Why was the suppressed anger rising again?

However, Sian held on to the string of reason until the end.

He shouldn’t lose his mind here.

The more this happens, the more calm and restrained he must be.

There were still plenty of enhancement materials piled up.

Semir was making them as if he was printing them now.

More than anything, there was still plenty of gold.

He didn’t deny that it was an absurd achievement.

But Success is the daughter of failure.

So failure is the father… no, the mother of success.

Anyway, he didn’t deny that they were parents.

“It’s just the beginning.”

Sian pressed the 【Enhance】 button without hesitation.

Click.

《Success running away far away!》

Click.

《Failure is calling!》

Click.

《Run away further and further~!》

Click. Click. Click click click.

《Morkru’s Energy 33.67%(+0.37%)》

《Morkru’s Energy 34.04%(+0.37%)》

《Morkru’s Energy 34.41%(+0.37%)》

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“You son of a biiiiiiiiiitch!!!”

#

A corridor located inside the Lord’s Castle.

-Why are you flirting with Sian? Anyway, you look like Muriel, so you have a pretty face…!

Leah projected her thoughts, taking control of the space.

And a brilliant light opposed those thoughts.

“What flirting…? Rather, you’re the one who flirted to be here…!”

Aria unleashed her divine power and drove away the lingering thoughts.

Kyaaaaaaaaaa!

Hwaaaaaaaaa!

Conflicting thoughts and divine power.

A tremendous force swept through the corridor of the Lord’s Castle.

“W, what is this…!”

“This is going to be a disaster…!”

“Saintess!!!”

Hans and his colleagues, and Laura, shouted in despair at the terrible power.

It was a tremendous force that could really hurt anyone.

So they had to stop it right away.

But they couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!

If they intervened carelessly, they would be swept away by the torrent of power.

“Please calm down, both of you!”

“This is going to be a disaster!”

All they could do was stomp their feet in frustration.

And whether they knew the thoughts of such people or not.

“Why is the ghost of the hall so strong…!”

-This is what seasoned experience is, kid.

Leah and Aria did not withdraw their thoughts and divine power towards each other.

“What experience! It’s just the age of a grandmother!”

-What, you little…!?

Leah’s expression twisted fiercely.

Soon, tremendous thoughts burst out from Leah’s entire body.

The swallowed darkness constantly bloomed.

The muscles stiffened.

The sharply drawn spirit tied up the body.

At the end, the light of divine power began to fade.

But only for a moment.

Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

An even more brilliant light burst out from Aria’s entire body.

An absolute power that drives away darkness.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa─!

Darkness and light intertwined as if trying to devour each other’s necks.

“Someone stop those two!”

“Saintess!!!”

People couldn’t find a way to deal with the torrent of power.

All they could do was endure the sweeping waves of power.

-Okay, let’s see you die today and I die.

“You’re already dead!”

Kyaaaaaaaaaa!

Hwaaaaaaaaa!

Thoughts and divine power were gathered in one place.

Darkness and light. Light and darkness.

The entire space was dyed with the power of the two.

Soon, just as the two forces were about to collide.

“Wait!!!”

A great shout was heard.

At the same time, some darkness took control of the space and spread out.

The space was already submerged in Leah’s darkness.

However, it swallowed up Leah’s newly emerged darkness.

A sight as if painting darkness over darkness.

But something fundamental was different.

Some fundamental power.

It was as if Leah’s thoughts were succumbing to the newly emerged darkness.

-W, what is this…?

Before Leah could be embarrassed, the newly emerged darkness stretched out its power and covered Aria’s divine power.

Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

Aria’s divine power, which had exploded, burst out brilliantly.

It unleashed its power towards the newly emerged darkness.

But it was being suppressed.

An absolute power that drives away darkness.

However, the brilliant divine power was unable to gain momentum as it was suppressed by the darkness.

“What is this…?”

Aria shouted in embarrassment.

In an instant, thoughts and divine power disappeared.

Leah and Aria’s heads turned at the same time.

And a certain man was seen.

“Sian?”

-Sian?

There, Sian’s figure was reflected.

Sian was standing with his left hand stretched out to the side.

Pitch-black darkness was swirling around his outstretched left hand.

The darkness that suppressed Leah’s thoughts and Aria’s divine power.

Sian was standing there manipulating that darkness.

-Ju, just now…

“Ho, how…?”

Leah and Aria’s eyes widened.

The darkness that Sian is manipulating now.

A force that cannot even be fathomed was felt from that darkness.

It wasn’t just a simple feeling, but that darkness suppressed Leah and Aria at the same time.

That means…

The power of the two could not do anything to Sian.

A thousand-year-old vengeful spirit, Leah.

Aria, who possesses the most powerful divine power in history.

The power of the two cannot do anything to Sian?

Was this even possible…?

The eyes of Leah and Aria, who were looking at Sian, did not subside easily.

Whether he knew the feelings of the two women or not.

Sian took a step and moved between Leah and Aria.

And he turned his head towards Aria.

“Time out for a second. Aria, put a blessing on me.”

What a sudden nonsense?

“What… did you say?”

Aria wondered what that meant.

She really wondered what that meant.

A blessing?

Even so suddenly like this?

No, in the first place, Sian disliked Aria’s divine power.

It wasn’t just disliking it, he hated it.

But he’s asking for such a blessing?

Even suddenly at this timing?

This isn’t just sudden, it’s fundamentally absurd.

-Suddenly, what are you talking about, Sian?

Leah also really wondered what that meant.

Sian looked at Leah and said.

“I have to enhance it.”

Enhance…?

She wondered what that meant again.

Sian looked at Aria again and said.

“So hurry up and put a blessing on me. Do you have any blessings that gather luck?”

“A blessing that gathers luck?”

“I mean a blessing that makes you lucky.”

“I have something that drives away bad luck… but I don’t have anything that directly makes you lucky.”

“Really? Then put that on me. Use all your power as much as possible. It would be even better if you did it like you did at the investiture ceremony.”

Sian shouted, his expression urgent.

For a moment, Aria wondered if something was truly happening.

She gathered her hands and focused her divine power.

Aria still didn’t understand Sian’s words, or why she had to do this.

But after her experiences with Sian, she knew it was easier to simply comply in these situations.

Whoaaaaa!

Brilliant light erupted from Aria’s entire body.

She sent the light toward Sian with a silent prayer.

The light rushed into Sian’s body.

Immediately, Sian’s face contorted violently, as if in severe pain, and cold sweat poured down his face.

It looked as if his insides were twisting in real-time.

“Uwaaaaaaack!!!”

As expected, Sian started to vomit.

“Uwaaaaaaaack!!!”

It was clear he wasn’t in good shape. He looked on the verge of collapse.

But why?

“Hahaha…! Hahaha! This is it! Yes, this is it!”

Sian burst into laughter! His eyes gleamed wildly with a crimson glow. His laughter sounded like madness.

And it wasn’t just a feeling.

Aria sensed a warning. Aria, who was practically divine power incarnate.

“You… you…!”

Aria’s divine power warned her to get away from that crazy guy immediately!

Unknowingly, Aria took a step back, away from Sian.

And it wasn’t just Aria.

-Sian… I can feel madness coming from you now…

Leah also looked at Sian with a bewildered face.

The madness that Leah had possessed when she was in the Hall of Arnise [Likely a place or organization known for dark magic or corruption]. The power of corrupted demonic energy.

That power was emanating from Sian.

Leah and Aria stepped back, away from Sian. They looked at him with trembling eyes.

But.

“Then you two… uuuurgh…! Continue what you were doing… uwaaaaaack!”

With those words, Sian turned, staggering. But he stubbornly moved his body.

And with that, he disappeared out of the lord’s castle.

An unknown silence descended.

Aria and Leah stared blankly.

“……”

-……

For a while, the two only stared at the spot where Sian had disappeared.

#

Aria’s divine power, imbued in the blessing, remained inside Sian, driving the demonic energy to the point of explosion.

Was that why?

“Haa…! Haa…!”

A rough breath. Extreme dizziness clouded his mind.

Sian gritted his teeth, holding onto his fading consciousness.

Of course, he could have expelled the divine power right then.

“I… won’t give up… uuuurgh…!”

But Sian didn’t.

《Morkru’s Energy 67.84%》

If he could just succeed in this damn enhancement!

This bit of pain! Such pain was nothing!

“A, are you alright… Lord?”

At that moment, Semir’s voice reached him. Semir was looking at Sian with a worried expression.

Sian simply nodded in response. Even if he wanted to answer, he couldn’t because of the rising nausea.

Aria’s blessing had consumed Sian’s entire body.

For a normal person, it would have been a blissful feeling of spiritual fullness.

But not Sian. He felt like he was about to faint at any moment!

But he endured it again.

‘This is… this is not enough…!’

No, rather, he only thought that this was not enough.

Sian immediately took out his smartphone.

【Blessing of Arnise】

③【: May infinite glory bless you.】

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《Would you like to use Muriel’s Blessing?》

A blinking notification window. Sian pressed the ‘Yes’ button on the notification window and immediately pressed the [Effect 1] option.

[Enhancement Effect 1](+5) – For 1 minute, all physical abilities of the achievement holder increase by +7,000%!

Whoaaaaa─!!

With a bright light, Muriel’s divinity filled Sian’s entire body.

And indeed, was Arnise Arnise? [This seems to be a rhetorical question implying that Arnise is powerful or special]. Unlike Aria, Muriel’s divinity was not repulsive. Far from being repulsive, a warm energy was felt, slightly stabilizing his mind and body.

“Hoo…!”

Sian let out a deep breath.

With this, Aria and Muriel… Sian was receiving the blessings of two saints.

And if Aria was really the reincarnation of Muriel, Sian was receiving blessings that transcended past and present lives.

That too, the blessings of the most noble saint in the history of the continent.

That meant, currently, nothing negative could invade Sian. In short, it was the optimal state for enhancement.

Sian manipulated his smartphone and entered the enhancement section.

The 【Enhancement】 tab blinked.

Sian detonated the power of the blessings given by the two saints.

Then, click.

In an instant, Sian’s time stopped.

The Asrandise [Likely a character or entity] who was captured by the madness of Instiz [Likely a place or organization] in the past, the Asrandise who was about to become the worst, the most heinous evil, the fleeting world that had defeated that Asrandise.

The stopped time split again and again.

Sian’s eyes widened and turned red. His vision turned red, and his mind faded.

The realm beyond the unpermitted, a new area that he had not experienced.

But he endured. He must endure.

‘For the success of the enhancement!’

In a time where everything was stopped.

‘Let’s gooooo!!!’

Sian’s index finger rushed towards the smartphone screen.

Kuuuuuuuu!

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The stopped world regained its time.

And in an instant.

Bbampararabam bbambbambbam!!!

A huge fanfare sound came from the smartphone.

“D, did it succeed…!”

Sian hurriedly checked the screen of his smartphone.

And.

《New Achievement: Gambler’s Fallacy. I guess you believe in some superstition? (Achieved!)》

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He could confirm some trivial achievement!

Tting!

《You don’t mean to tell me…!》

《You didn’t think that enhancement would work well if you received a blessing, did you?》

《You didn’t believe in such superstitions, did you?!》

Soon, the mobile lord’s [Likely a game character or AI] notification window appeared.

《Oh my? Really… did you think that?》

《No, right? It’s not, is it? You didn’t have such a stupid thought, did you?》

The mobile lord constantly sent notification windows.

《There’s no way you would have had such a foolish, stupid, ugly, dull, foolish, idiotic, moronic thought, right?》

And was this the right time? It was a mobile lord who was properly provoking him.

《Right? You didn’t have such thoughts, did you?》

《It won’t be. Of course! That’s right!》

Sian couldn’t say anything. Really… he couldn’t say anything.

《But if it was really such an attempt… don’t worry!》

《Your commendable attempt. It wasn’t meaningless!》

《Because the law of causality seems to have been impressed by your foolish, stupid, and dull, ignorant, foolish, and dull thoughts!!》

Tting!

[The law of causality is newly established for elements that deviate from the law.]

[New achievement reward is given.]

[New Achievement Reward] – Permanently increases enhancement probability by 0.00001%.

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“……”

The absurdity ascended.

Of course, it’s better than nothing──what the hell!

“You, you son of a─!!”

0.00001% did not have any effect! That level of probability was no different from nothing!

In short, it was the same as teasing!

Sian’s hands began to tremble with anger.

And was that why?

Tting!

《Ah…!! Aaaaaah…!!!》

The smartphone vibrated greatly, and the mobile lord’s notification window appeared.

Uwoong! Uwooooong!

The smartphone was constantly vibrating. Because of that vibration, the smartphone was moving around.

It was like some kind of movement that was like being possessed beyond electric shock, quite similar to the ecstatic writhing that Sian showed every time in front of a huge amount of gold.

Ttiriring!!

《This is it! This is it!!!》

The mobile lord shouted, trembling. Of course, it was impossible to know if he was really trembling.

But the smartphone continued to vibrate, uwooooong. Sian could tell that the mobile lord was trembling.

Was that why?

Crack.

A sound of something breaking was heard in Sian’s head.

The Over Drive possessed by the beings dwelling in the Forest of Darkness [Likely a power or state]. Sian’s eyes turned over, and the realm of reason was cut out.

Okay. Let’s see if you die today or I die. Let’s give it a try.

There was still a lot of gold left. Of course, he had already exceeded 100 attempts, but it didn’t matter.

“Because it’s time to succeed now.”

Because that meant it was time to succeed.

Of course, this is also the gambler’s fallacy [The mistaken belief that if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future]. However, Sian, whose reason was cut off, could not think normally.

“Enhancement probability is 1%.”

No, now it’s 1.00001%

“Let’s go to the end.”

Sian gritted his teeth.

At the same time, Sian’s time stopped, and fragments of time were split. The realm beyond cognition.

Sian took that fleeting moment and lashed out his index finger.

Kuuuuuuuu!

#

“Haha…”

Sian let out a hollow laugh. He didn’t want to laugh, but laughter just leaked out.

His eyes were bloodshot. Was it the price of crossing the realm beyond cognition countless times?

Fine blood vessels burst, and tears of blood flowed down his eyes.

“A, are you alright…?”

Semir asked with a very worried expression.

But Sian couldn’t answer. This time it wasn’t because of the blessing of divine power. Just… he just didn’t have the energy to answer.

The blank expression seemed as if his mind and soul had escaped. The remaining body was helplessly drooping like an empty shell.

A single notification window was visible with that drooping gaze.

《Morkru’s Energy 100%》

Any affirmation of positivity… Sian couldn’t hear it.

Of course, he didn’t use all the gold. There was a huge amount of gold, about 100 million gold, left in the inventory.

But the gold Sian had before that was a whopping 350 million gold.

And now the remaining gold is about 100 million gold. In other words, 250 million gold… had disappeared.

In that fleeting moment, 250 million gold burned, fiercely.

Or maybe, flaring up.

Sian couldn’t…

“Ha, haha…”

He didn’t have the courage to live his life.