Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V2C124

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Chapter 124: The Watcher in the Shadows Part 2

The petite girl crouched beside Ackerman’s colossal corpse, her small frame dwarfed by the mountainous remains of the Divine Messenger. One hand rested on her knee while the other rummaged through its broken form. After a moment, she seemed to find nothing of interest and hooked the string of the shale longbow with a finger, holding it up for Brandon to see. “Want it?”

“Don’t you?”

Aloz shook her head matter-of-factly, her golden braids swaying slightly. “It’s useless to me. I was just checking what loot there might be.”

Brandon felt a wave of exasperation wash over him. If she hadn’t needed anything, why even touch the body in the first place? Still, given that she had single-handedly slain the Divine Messenger, he couldn’t exactly complain. Clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, “Is that all?”

“What do you mean ‘is that all’?”

“Only this bow?”

“How could that be? There’s plenty more,” the diminutive girl replied nonchalantly. “But none of it suited my taste, so I left it alone.”

What kind of reasoning was that? Brandon muttered inwardly but pressed on. “You still haven’t answered my question. What ‘interesting thing’ did you put on this Golden Apple? As a token of gratitude, don’t I deserve to know?”

He gestured toward the gleaming fruit in his hand. Initially, he’d considered giving it to Freya or Roma, but now he was relieved he hadn’t. Who knew what sort of bizarre enchantments lay hidden within?

The thought made him instinctively hold the apple further away, wary of whatever ‘interesting’ substance might coat its surface.

“Secret,” the girl chirped with a mischievous grin.

“Secret?”

Before Brandon could press further, Aloz’s expression shifted. She suddenly turned her head to one side, placing a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. “Someone’s coming,” she whispered earnestly. Leaning closer, she added softly, “Sir Brandon, your journey has been most entertaining, and I’ve enjoyed watching. However, I must take my leave. My kin have urgent matters to attend to, and both Flora and I are needed back home. Take care, won’t you?”

“Wait.” Brandon frowned, a suspicion forming in his mind. Had this little imp been following him all along? His face twisted as he struggled to process the implications. Despite his shock, his sharp instincts caught a discrepancy in her words. “Your kin? You’re…?”

Aloz simply smiled, nodding knowingly.

In that instant, Brandon felt as though lightning had struck him. Words failed him as realization dawned. Not human, yet referring to their own kind as “kin”—if his memory served, only one race fit that description on the continent of Vonder: dragons. Those haughty beings, feared and despised alike, infamous for their arrogance and irrationality. Even Madara’s undead would sooner flee than tangle with them.

And here he was, having unknowingly interacted with a young dragoness this entire time. Miraculously, she hadn’t decided to devour him out of boredom—though it was admittedly late for lunch. Still, Brandon sensed that Aloz held some measure of goodwill toward him. Having a dragon as an ally, however improbable, sent a flicker of cautious optimism through him.

What had he done to deserve such fortune—or misfortune?

“Very well, Sir Brandon. They’ll be here any moment. I’d rather those lowly creatures didn’t see me at your side, but rest assured—I won’t let them harm you.” Standing on tiptoe, she patted his shoulder with an air of maturity, as if she were the elder sibling. Then, her figure began to fade, dissolving into transparency until she vanished entirely from sight.

“Harm me? Would Minnis really go that far?”

Brandon assumed she referred to Minnis and his companions, though the idea of calling the proud Silver Elves “lowly creatures” was laughable. He imagined the late kings of the Silver Elves rolling in their graves at the insult. Yet, technically, she wasn’t wrong. Among the few races on Vonder who retained pure golden bloodlines, dragons stood at the apex. Their lineage alone surpassed the iron- and silver-tiered peoples. Moreover, every dragon offspring was born with innate elemental affinity, a hallmark of their prestigious heritage.

Still, Minnis and his group were late to the scene.

Brandon grumbled under his breath as he limped toward Ackerman’s corpse. Given how thoroughly cursed his luck already was, another bout of misfortune wouldn’t make much difference. Perhaps, against all odds, things might balance out. First, he picked up the bow, scanning its properties:

Shale Longbow [Magic]

- Penetration: 25–29

- +4 Agility, +2 Strength

- Activation: Create a Petrification Arrow (1-week cooldown)

Brandon weighed the weapon in his hands, finding its attributes passably satisfactory. Though labeled as brass-grade, the Shale Longbow’s stats were average for a level 40 item. Its activation ability, however, was invaluable—a Petrification Arrow, one of the rare magical projectiles that couldn’t be crafted via spells. Upon impact, it petrified the target, with severity dependent on the opponent’s constitution. For foes below silver-rank, a single arrow likely meant instant fossilization. While Brandon wouldn’t waste such a precious resource on iron-rank enemies, it remained a potent threat even against upper-silver adversaries—and could affect mid-to-lower gold-rank opponents.

Furthermore, like other magic arrows, the Petrification Arrow didn’t degrade over time, making it highly storable. Many archers once hoarded these arrows, ensuring they always had a trump card ready. Best of all, magic arrows didn’t require specific bows to fire.

Though the Shale Longbow was decent, it hardly matched the expectations for loot from a 55-level boss. Thus, Brandon eagerly turned his attention to Ackerman’s massive corpse. Even knowing Aloz lingered nearby, the allure of uncovering coveted gear from unknown drops proved irresistible.

He set the Golden Apple aside and pulled a necklace from beneath the corpse:

Flame Star [Magic]

- Fire Elemental Pool expanded by 50%

- Fire Element Enhancement +10%

Brandon nearly burst into laughter upon seeing the brass-grade necklace. It seemed even cursed hands occasionally struck gold. This trinket was a godsend for fire elementalists, though utterly useless to warriors. Expanding the Fire Elemental Pool by half and boosting fire spell damage by 10% held no value for someone reliant on physical combat—but for Brandon, whose elemental affinity was abysmal, the pool expansion was invaluable.

More importantly, Flame Star sparked an epiphany. Brandon had long lamented his minuscule Elemental Pool, but this discovery illuminated a path forward. Why not equip items designed for elementalists? For instance, Flame Star, Winter’s Bite, or even the legendary Asilika Elemental Brooch—all capable of multiplying his pool size. With enough stacking, even someone as inept at element manipulation as him could become a competent elementalist.

Sometimes, lack of talent could indeed be compensated by superior equipment.

Pocketing the necklace, Brandon heard a rustle behind him. Turning, he saw a group emerging from the underbrush. To his surprise, it wasn’t Minnis but Macaro, Buga, and several others—none bearing the insignia of Gray Wolves Mercenaries.

His gaze fixed on an elderly man between Macaro and Buga. Something about the elder seemed familiar, though Brandon couldn’t quite place him.

However, compared to Brandon’s mild astonishment, Macaro and Buga were utterly flabbergasted. When they recognized Brandon, their expressions froze. Before them sat a bloodied warrior perched atop Ackerman’s mutilated corpse, one hand resting casually on his shortsword. The scene screamed of a lone hero triumphing after a grueling battle.

After all, Buga and Macaro had personally faced Ackerman days prior. A 55-level boss rivaled 70-level regular monsters in strength, leaving them utterly outmatched. Worse, Ackerman shared the same elemental domain as Buga, meaning their clash hinged solely on raw power—a category where Ackerman dominated. Their defeat had led to the annihilation of the Gray Wolves Mercenary Company.

Thus, when they laid eyes on the corpse, their pupils contracted in disbelief.

This young man…

“It’s you,” Buga finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“You again,” Brandon replied lazily, leaning back with feigned nonchalance. Inside, he smirked. Karma worked swiftly; Marsha herself must have orchestrated this encounter. If he didn’t seize the opportunity to exact revenge, he’d hardly call himself a seasoned veteran.

With that, he settled into a relaxed posture, observing the group with quiet amusement. Buga’s attempt at conversation was met with an awkward silence—

Project Update: Volume 2 is now fully translated! However, as I'm currently focusing on stacking chapters for Volume 3, the release of the remaining chapters in Volume 2 will slow down a bit.

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