Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V3C123

Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.

Thank you.

Everyone from Otaku Translation

Chapter 123: From the Lairs – Part 2

As the young adventurers descended one by one into the cavern, their reactions were immediate and unanimous.

“By the gods, what is that smell?”

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Is this some kind of poison gas?”

“Silence!” The sharp command came from a red-haired girl with a long ponytail, her voice cutting through the complaints like a blade. Her stern tone silenced the group, though even she couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose at the overpowering stench.

If the five-headed basilisk had been human, it would have undoubtedly been the filthiest sort imaginable. The lair reeked of rot and decay, as if it were a cesspit rather than a nest. The air itself felt toxic, and Antietta, the noblewoman with the weakest constitution, had already retched several times. Without Meria’s timely purification spell, she might have fainted outright.

Kulan was the last to reach the bottom. As his boots touched the ground, his eyes immediately fell upon the silver-gray gauntlet Brandon held in his hand. Its arm section bristled with scale-like spikes, while fiery agate stones adorned the back of the hand, giving it an ornate, otherworldly appearance.

The veteran swordsman, well-versed in the lore of ancient artifacts, recognized it almost instantly. His eyes widened in disbelief. “Surely… this isn’t the Crimson Blessing, is it?”

Brandon’s lips curled into a smug smile. “You’ve guessed correctly, Master Kulan.”

“The very same gauntlet used by the hero Satheran?” Kulan stared at the artifact, utterly transfixed. “It’s not a forgery, is it?”

Brandon knew the name Kulan referred to—Satheran, one of the most renowned alchemists in history. But his fame wasn’t limited to his mastery of alchemy; he was also a dragon knight, favored by Bahamut, the Fire Dragon King. Together with his golden fire dragon, Satheran’s travels across the land had become the stuff of legend, celebrated in ballads and tales told by bards for centuries.

But above all else, it was this gauntlet that cemented Satheran’s legacy. Blessed by Bahamut himself, the artifact was named the Crimson Blessing—a symbol of the dragon king’s favor.

“Of course not,” Brandon replied lightly, flexing his fingers within the gauntlet. The metal plates grated softly against one another, emitting a faint hiss.

“How can you be so sure?” Kulan eyed the gauntlet skeptically. He found it hard to believe Brandon’s luck was this extraordinary. Surely, such a legendary relic wouldn’t just turn up in a random cave.

The tale of Satheran dated back nearly three centuries. After the hero’s disappearance, the gauntlet’s whereabouts had been lost to time. Whether it vanished alongside Satheran or changed hands over the years remained a mystery. And now, here it was, seemingly nestled in the lair of a foul beast.

Unfazed by Kulan’s doubts, Brandon offered no explanation. Instead, he tightened his grip on the hilt of The Sword of the Earth and drew the blade. Instantly, flames erupted from the gauntlet, racing upward to engulf both the weapon and his entire right arm in a blaze of fire.

Raising the sword aloft, Brandon illuminated the cavern with its burning light, the blade resembling a torch of pure flame. The assembled youths gawked in awe, their jaws hanging open. Even Kulan’s seasoned composure faltered as his eyes widened in astonishment.

After a moment of stunned silence, the old swordsman shook his head stubbornly. “It’s impressive, certainly, but many enchanted weapons can produce similar flame effects. Spells like Flame Grasp, Fire Blade, or Flame Blessing could replicate something like this—it doesn’t necessarily confirm it’s the ‘Dragonfire’ of the Crimson Blessing.”

Brandon merely smiled. Without warning, he swung the sword toward the cavern wall. The flames rippled outward, vibrating in the air and producing a sound akin to a dragon’s roar. A serpentine stream of fire leapt from the blade, slamming into the stone with a thunderous crash. Rocks and dust rained down, filling the chamber with the acrid scent of scorched earth.

At this display, Kulan’s skepticism evaporated. Only Dragonfire could unleash such devastation—and only it possessed such a unique method of attack.

But Brandon wasn’t finished. With a flick of his wrist, he extinguished the flames and sheathed the sword. “Actually, Dragonfire isn’t even the strongest ability of the Crimson Blessing,” he said casually. “You’re familiar with Satheran’s other title, aren’t you, Master Kulan?”

“Naturally,” Kulan replied, still recovering from the shock. The Crimson Blessing was a name steeped in legend, and he took a deep breath before continuing. “The alchemist.”

“Exactly. And since the Crimson Blessing was crafted specifically for him by Bahamut, its true power lies elsewhere.” Brandon paused, then retrieved a ‘Scale Blessed by Hydra’ from his pouch. Flipping the gauntlet over, he activated a rune etched into the palm.

To Kulan’s amazement, the fiery agates embedded in the gauntlet began to glow brighter, one by one. The scale hovered in midair, shimmering with an intense heat. Within moments, it softened, melted, and transformed into droplets of crimson and azure liquid.

Brandon extended his hand, his fingers twitching slightly as the droplets converged and reshaped themselves into a fiery dagger. The weapon cooled rapidly before their eyes, its surface rippling like water before hardening into a metallic finish. Yet the cooling process wasn’t uniform—it pulsed rhythmically, as though hammered by invisible hands.

When the transformation was complete, the dagger glowed with a dull red hue, gradually darkening to a deep, almost blackish blue. Brandon grasped the hilt confidently.

“Well?” he asked with a grin.

Kulan sucked in a sharp breath. He recognized the process—alchemy—but never had he seen anything so miraculous. Alchemy, practiced in secret among the upper echelons of nobility, witches, and mystics, was often viewed by common folk as both arcane and omnipotent.

In truth, alchemy was a meticulous discipline combining enchantment and potion-making. Witches brewed potions in bubbling cauldrons, while Buga’s Craftsmen Wizards inscribed mystical patterns onto armor and weapons to imbue them with power.

Creating such items required painstaking effort, specialized tools, and controlled environments. Most processes involved extracting raw materials through complex rituals, followed by hours—or even days—of refinement.

Yet Brandon’s demonstration defied all convention. There was no forge, no hammering, no preparation whatsoever. He had simply manipulated the materials directly, bypassing every traditional step.

“What… what is this?” Kulan stammered, staring at the dagger.

“A high-level alchemical array,” Brandon explained. “Blood Alchemy, which you might know, was developed based on research into arrays like this. Buga’s wizards have documented simpler versions, but their imitations pale in comparison.”

“And when empowered by divine forces, the array’s potential far exceeds its apparent rank,” he continued thoughtfully. “Standard high-level arrays can only produce items achievable through Level 10 alchemy or lower, limited to basic enchantments or minor magical enhancements. But this gauntlet? It has no such restrictions. You saw it yourself—it can handle creations up to Level 13 alchemy.”

Kulan didn’t fully grasp the distinction between Levels 10 and 13 alchemy, but he understood enough to realize the significance. High-level alchemical arrays were rare, yet they weren’t unheard of. Still, the implications of Brandon’s words left him speechless.

The old swordsman shook his head slowly. “I see your point. But do you truly believe this feature is the gauntlet’s greatest asset?”

He frowned. “Personally, I’d say Dragonfire is far more practical.”

Brandon blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Of course—an NPC’s perspective wouldn’t align with that of players. Few gamers spent their days cooped up in alchemical labs, so naturally, they’d view such conveniences as divine artifacts.

Seeing Kulan’s dismissive expression, Brandon couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for the gauntlet. What a shame to encounter someone who failed to appreciate its worth.

He smirked inwardly, imagining Kulan’s reaction if he knew the gauntlet’s former market value in Amber Sword—seventy billion torr, roughly half the annual wealth generated by the ancient kingdom of Eruin.

Patting the gauntlet, Brandon opened his mouth to respond—but a sudden shout interrupted him.

“My lord, are these really the eggs of that monster?”

The eggs of the five-headed basilisk?

Kulan, who had already been staggered by the revelation of the Crimson Blessing, thought he’d reached his limit of surprises for the day. But those words hit him like a bolt of lightning.

Merciful Marsha—what did basilisk eggs mean? A future army of top-tier warbeasts?

Even nine-headed basilisks were prized assets among dark elves and barbarian tribes alike, considered elite units in any force. While five-headed basilisks were somewhat inferior, they were still formidable creatures once fully matured, capable of rivaling gold-ranked adversaries.

Turning sharply, Kulan croaked, “Eggs? Where?”

His gaze landed on the pile of over a hundred pristine white eggs nestled among the branches. He rubbed his temples, wondering if he was hallucinating.

“Th-these are the eggs of a five-headed basilisk?” he asked hesitantly, looking to Brandon for confirmation.

Brandon nodded. Truth be told, his own reaction hadn’t been much calmer than Kulan’s when he first saw them.

Marsha above, those eggs were worth far more than the gauntlet in his hand—not in terms of in-game currency, but in their present utility.

“What… do you plan to do with them?” Kulan asked stiffly, turning back to face Brandon.

---

TLN: The entire third volume has been completely translated. You can read all of it through the links below.

Please rate or leave a review for this novel at

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-amber-sword/

If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.